Are Conventional Gender Roles In Pakistan Justified?

-written by Faiza Rizwan

For the longest time, ancient social conventions has dictated for women to leave professional work to
men and household chores to women, despite women undertaking many Plebeian tasks in the near and
distinct past. In some eras this notion could have even been relevant especially when the women were
denied education and skills to perform work. Eventually, this debate has produced two distinctly
separate views on this issue.

First argument generally supported in this concept is that women are better equipped to deal with the
Herculean task of instilling essential ethical values in children- a venture that demands mind numbing
patience and flabbergasting dedication. Another fairly constructed societal convention is that women
are unable to cope up with the mental pressure of juggling professional work and household chores, not
to mention the physical strength required in some arduous tasks.

However, none of these arguments really stand its ground, as statistics clearly show that stay at home
fathers can do just as good raising the kids. So, it can be fairly inferred that with common goals and
perspectives, both parents can work and divide the time essential for nurturing the child. Additionally,
there is no clear psychological evidence that broadens the claim that women are not resilient to rigorous
mental and physical demands of work. To look at it in a different perspective, it cannot be conclusively
proven that any psychological intervention exists in a woman’s mental health while multitasking! In fact,
at an individual level, a successful career boosts the self esteem and contentment levels of a woman
leading to an even better family life.The financial support provided to the husband and consequently the
family, is yet another benefit which is reaped.

To look at it in a larger perspective, women workforce can save a country’s dwindling economy. When
seen on a gender based scale, women owe approximately 51% of the population. Hence, with most of
the women confined to their homes, a colossal workforce remains untapped. In fact, a large percentage
of this passive workforce could have contributed massively towards nation building by assuming leading
roles in society. This claim is robustly supported by examples of prominent World leaders such as Queen
Elizabeth and Benazir Bhutto.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that it’s high time the myth of women being denied access outside the
homestead boundaries, be busted. As long as the maternal instincts, which the society has always
cherished, remain intact, women should possess an absolute right in discarding the conventional and
outdated notion of being specifically destined to bear household chores.