SINDHI WOMEN IN LEGISLATION
BY: DR. DUR MUHAMMAD PATHAN
“THE REMARKABLE ROLE OF
SINDHI WOMEN IN LEGISLATION“
Women form about 50
percent of the population. Without women a man would not be a man at all and
society will become figment of imagination. Nobody will be having the comfort
of having someone by his side through the rough and bad times.
We all are humans. We
all are equals in rights. We all have the same origins and we’ve all evolved
the same way, we all have the same abilities. Therefore women have equality
with men. Whatever glory belongs to the race for a development unprecedented in
history for the given length of time, a full share belongs to womanhood of the race.
In
the West, the earliest Women’s Day observances were held on May 3, 1908, in
Chicago.It is matter of only one hundred years, when women in West launched
movement for their rights. Sindh history tells five hundred years old story
about the ‘ideal’ status of women in the ideological treasurer of
intellectualism. More than five hundred years ago, women have been given the
status of royalty in Sindhi literature. The seven queen: Sassui & Sohni,
Marvi & Moomal, Laila & Noori and Sorth were and are
celebrated throughout Sindh for their positive qualities: their integrity and
loyalty, dedication and devotion. They are valued for their beauty and
boldness, bravery and willingness to their lives in the name of love and
affection, commitment and dedication. Seven queens (Soormis) inspired women all
over Sindh to have the courage to choose love and freedom over tyranny and
oppression.
No doubt, the story of
sorrows and longings of Sindhi women, and even belonging to every part of the
country, is old as women, but, they have played vital and positive role in
every field of life, including legislation – the topic that we are dealing
with, to some extent in details here.
No problem, if some
people believe that women still do not have equality with men. And, it is said
to be evident at home, at their work-place, and in society in general. But,
Women of Sindh and Pakistan have created history. They have not lost
the direction, they are keeping on walking bravely through thorn bushes tearing
their clothes. Their enthusiastic role has remained enterprising. In the poetic
words of Shah Abdul Latif:
1. The
hills are harsh, the dust is great;
2. The
paths are overlaid with sand.
3. The
passes hinder, saith Latif,
4. And
fierce, they say, the deserts stand.
5. Her,
worn by journey stages, Lord,
6. Bring
safe within the Kechis land.
Woman of Sindh has
created wonderful history. Mother of Dodo and Chanesar is deciding that who
will be the king with crown. Mai Kalachi of Karachi is planning and making
strategy how to save and protect people from Sharks. Mai
Bukhtawar is defending rights of peasants with making
sacrifice of her life. Sindh remains very proud of Benazir Bhutto’s monumental
life and courageous death. All this speaks of remarkable contribution of Sindhi
women in the human culture and history.
Let us peep into the
pages of the history of Pakistan Movement. The founder President of the
All-India Muslim League- Sir Agha Khan and its last President before creation
of Pakistan- The Quaid-i-Azam, both were from Sindh. The first and last annual
sessions of this party were held in Karachi. In 1943, The Sindh Legislative
Assembly adopted resolution for opting Pakistan scheme.
Women from Sindh
remained in front during and in the Movement for Pakistan.Lady Nusrat Haroon,
Lady Sughra Hidauatullah, Begum Khairnisa Shaban, Miss Fakhurnisa Wali Muhammad
Effendi,Mrs.G.Allana and Fatima Shaikh of Hyderabad were noteworthy for their
brave work for freedom and Pakistan movement.
Though, Women of society
proved their worth, but,history tells us have the sun always set early for
them, nights of their sorrows and longings become long but sand
storms of conditions always wipe away marks of hopes. In spite of such terrible
conditions, daughters of land struggled a lot for their rights.
After independence,
elite women continued to advocate women’s political empowerment through legal
reforms. They mobilized support that led to passage of the Muslim Personal Law
in 1948, which recognized a women’s right to inherit all forms of property.
They were also behind the futile attempt to have the government
include a Charter of Women’s Rights in the 1956 constitution. The Muslim Family
Laws Ordinance covering marriage and divorce, is out come of the efforts of our
womenfolk.
Two issues: promotion of
women’s political representation and accommodation
between Muslim family and democratic civil rights, came to dominate
discourse about women and sociolegal reform. The second issue gained attention
during Zia-ul-Haq regime. Urban women formed groups to protect rights against
apparent discrimination under Zia’s Islamization progress. It was in the highly
visible realm of law that women were able to articulate their objections to the
Islamization program initiated by the government in 1979. Protests against the
1979 Enforcement of Hudood Ordinance focused on the failure of Huddood
ordinance to distinguish between adultery and rape. Zia’s period was beginning
of the darkest period and violation of women’s rights. The conditions favoured
crimes against women. Flogging of girls, increasing rap cases, Acid
attacks; more cases of honour killings, mutilations,; abducations and other
crimes against women became routine of society. in real the Islamization by
the Dictator of a Victimization of women folk at large. In September
1981, the first conviction under the ZINA Ordinance , of stoning to death for
Fahmida and Allah Bux was a shocking news for every civilized men
and women. However,due to national and international pressure, they were
set a side. The Women’s Action Forum was formed in the same year i.e 1981 to
respond to the implementation of the penal code and to strengthen women’s
position in society generally. Women launched the first full-fledged
national women’s movement in Pakistan.
The Quaid-i-Azam
so many times made strong plea for removal of constraints against women. As
early as 1944 he stated that ‘No nation can rise to glory unless your women are
side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against
humanity that our women are shut within the four walls of the house as prison.
You should take your women along with you as comrades in every spare of life.’
The creation of Pakistan
proves to be chance for our women-folk to make others believe in their talents
and potentialities. They started painting the canvas of every field of life
with vibrant colours of their vision & wisdom, services and worth. Fatima
Jinnah emerged as dynamic leader both in politics and social work. In sixties,
she became a symbol of democratic forces and by contesting
Presidential election challenged the monopoly of a great dictator. Begum Rana
Liaquat Ali Khan proved herself as champion of the women cause. She went
through the core of sorrows and longings by virtue of getting dead body of his
assassinated husband, who was the first ever Prime Minister of the newly
emerged country. She was not disappointed by such type of tragedy, but went all
along with a great cause and mission. She was first lady in Sindh to take over
as the Governor of the province. Begum Nusrat Bhutto and her brave daughter
Shaheed Rani Benazir Bhutto stand second to none in history. Like Begum Rana
Liaquat Ali, Begum Nusrat Bhutto lost her Better half Z.A.Bhutto, but, in addition,
she saw her trio of kids killed brutally and mercilessly. Benazir Bhutto, the
only Muslim female reaching the seat of the Premiership , became everlasting in
the pages of history as a character of monumental life and courageous death.
They both created history for launching movement for the restoration of
democracy during the darkest night of dictatorship. History has to wait to
witness such type of great ladies. Sindh has produced a handsome number of
women politicians.. Some of them are: Dr.Ashraf Abbasi, Dr.Hameeda Khuhro,
Munira Shakir, Zareen Majid; Mahmooda Sultana; Shamim N.D.Khan; Fahmida Mirza,
Azra Fazal Pechuho; Faryal Talpur; Marvi Memon,; Khushbakht Shujaat and so on.
Let
us forget this field of politics and peep into other walks of life. You
will find galaxies of great women every field. Bilquis Edhi is
Mother Taressa of Pakistan, Dr. Fatima Shah is known as ‘a light in darkness’.
Dadi Lila and Dr.Shamis Abbasi worked hard for the promotion of female
education. Mahtab Akbar Rashdi was the first lady to become Secretary in Sindh
Government. We have Fatima Surriya Bajya, Haseena Moin; Khursheed Bano Shama;
Fidous Hyder, Nural Huda Shah, Mehtab Mahoob; Begum Zeenat Channa,; Rubina Abro
and so many ladies of literature.Today women are not only organized, but
organizing and running so many Associations and Organizations in the length and
breadth of Sindh.
Sindh, lost
its independence as the country in in 1843 and remained Governor’s Province for
four years. Later on in 1847 became Commissionerate of the Bombay Presidency.
In 1935, after a long struggle, a new chapter in
the history of Sindh opened. Under Section 40(3) of ‘Government of India Act
1935’, Sindh was separated from the Bombay Presidency with effect from I April
1936. With the introduction by the same Act, the newly created Province of
Sindh secured a Legislative Assembly of its own, consisting of sixty members.
The first ever session of the first Assembly was held on 27 April 1937. We are
having our Thirteenth Assembly now. It came into existence on 18 February 2008.
The
foundation stone of the building of the Sindh Assembly was laid by Sir Lancelot
Graham, the Governor of Sindh, on 11 March 1940 and was completed within a span
of two years.
Sindh
has a long history of producing strong and well-known female politicians and
legislators. Jethi Sipahimalani and Jenubai G.Allana were among the first women
who won Sindh Assembly seats on general tickets, in the pre-partition
era. Jethi Sipahimalani became first ever deputy speaker.
After partition, Benazir Bhutto became the first
female prime minister in the Muslim World and her mother Begum Nusrat Bhutto
remained her senior minister. Begum Ashraf Abbasi became the first woman deputy
speaker of the National Assembly. The first woman speaker, Dr.Fahmida Mirza,
hails from the Distric Badin of Sindh.
Although
the climate for women in Pakistan always remained grim, but, the hardship never
caused this the great vacation-less class to lament on their spirit
and efforts. Shah Latif has depicted their position in wonderful way. He says:
“The wind from the north
in its might hath gone forth i have neither blanket nor sheet and all the night
through the sheet I pulled to in the hope that its four ends would meet”
Right from Begum Rana to
Begum Nusrat, Bakhtawar of Hari Movement to Benazir, our important segment of
the society has proved its worth. Their presence in the Sindh Assembly is
sufficient evidence to believe that they are role model and at par
with men in the field of legislation.
We see handsome number
of women in the Sindh Assembly since its inception. Our history will alyas
remember valuable services of Sindh Assembly female members
likeBegum Aishah Arain; Firdous Junijo; Mis Taj Bibi; Dr. Ashraf Abbasi; Begum
Zubaida Bashir, Mrs. Rukhsana Zubair; Lilavati Harchandani; Parvin Mari;
Dr.Amina Ashraf; Gulzar Unar; Nasreen Akhtar; Feroza Begum; Kalsoom Chandio;
Rehana Nasreen; Asma Sherwani; Freeda Baloch; Mrs. Monica Kamran Dost; Mrs.
Murtaza Shakir, Miss Rashida; Mrs. Shamim
Akhtar; Mrs. Shamshad Jokhio and Miss Shughfta
Jumani etc remained active members of the Sindh
Assembly.
Today,
we are having Thirteenth Assembly with Agha Sraj
Durrani and Syeda Shehla Raza as its speaker and deputy speaker
respectively. Total number of female members is … and they are: Aisha Khatoon,
Bilquees Mukhtar; Farhat Seemi; Ghazala Siyal, Heer Soho; Iram Khalid; Irum
Azeem Farrooque; Khairunisa Mughul; Kalsum Akhtar Chandio; Mahtab Akbar
Rashdi,; Naheed Begum; Naila Munir; Nusrat Bano Abbasi; Nusrat Sultana; Rana
Ansar; Rehana Leghari; Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani; Rukhsana Shah; Saira
Shahliani; Sajeela Leghari; Seema Zia; Shaheena; Shahnaz Begum; Sharmila
Faruqui; Shazia Jawaid; Sorath Thebo; Sumeta Afzal Syed and Syeda Shehla
Raza.
The
history of Sindh Assembly and records of its proceeding speak much about the
valuable services rendered by Sindh Women in legislation they have taken very
active part in debates and helped various committees with their Political
vision & wisdom. Sindhi Women in capacity of Minister to Government of
Sindh have said new trends of serving nation according to their talents and
potentialities. Some of them are Tqeer Fatima, Rubina Qaim Khani, Sasi Palijo,
Shazia Mari, Dr. Saida Malik.
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