Awarded among 77 women of Pakistan by British Council as women of substance

We as a nation are radical and extreme due to the nature of birth of this state. Radicalism and extremism themselves are not concepts to be frowned upon – they can be channelled towards the betterment of humanity. Perhaps I am one of the few who believe that the major power-brokers in Pakistani society have decided on a course of change.

When I used the word verge, I used it extensively in this moment of Pakistani history. This verge signifies CHANGE!

Some hard facts which cannot be ignored about this country: a population of around 250 million (nearly the population of the whole of United States of America) sitting in the middle of an epileptic war between the religious and political sects and parties.

Among one of the many things that we have been facing globally is related to women being discriminated in a predominantly male society. Pakistan is now fighting the fight against its current economic system with one hand tied against its back. That hand is the female population which has to be free in order to unleash the total potential and strength of Pakistan. What I am trying to say is that this country, just because of its serious gender discrimination, is suffering a loss of 50% of its total population. We can quote countries like Turkey as examples. Our women should be at par with their male counterparts and can even utilize their efficiency in the manufacturing industry. If we change the mindset over basic issues like rights of women, education and healthcare, we can overcome poverty and that will encourage women to open up and initiate dialogue about their issues. We need to make efforts to bring the women at par with their male counterparts or at least to allow them a fair chance and opportunity to pursue what is duly theirs because it is not only a question of gender discrimination but also a serious economic concern. Therefore, initiatives need to be taken to at least start dialogue towards the steps required to be undertaken for a greater integration of women in the society.

Efforts and steps need to be taken for women empowerment, which will undoubtedly make a major impact on the mindset of the society as a whole. Such change will also broaden women’s representation publicly, including their participation and representation in politics. It is a stated fact that inequality is lower in countries where more women have been engaged in public life. There is also evidence that suggests that women in local government and political roles make decisions with better outcomes for their communities than men do when faced with budgetary or other decisions. Having more women participate in the regular workforce will contribute to and boost the country’s economic performance and it’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Additionally, as women become more economically independent, they also become more significant consumers of goods and services, including for the majority of purchasing decisions of the household. Research has also shown that women are more likely than men to invest a larger proportion of their household income to the education and health of their children.

Our aim and mission as intellectuals and legislators should be to bring the potential 30-40% of GDP on record. As a country desperately seeking to recalibrate itself, we the citizens need your help and your expertise, and by “we” I mean the educated of the society, the intellectuals, the academics. We have an opportunity to get a 100 million people documented in terms of economic activity. Are you ready to ignore it or accept it and bring a change?