Anita Cheria, activist (right) and former textile mill worker Maheshwari (left)

Since ancient times, priests and family elders have been referring to newly married Hindu women as “Sumangalis,” meaning women who still have their husbands by their side and thus lead a blessed life. Today, however, the word has taken on a sinister meaning for women working in textile mills in southern India.

Pakistan’s women participate at a rally on Women’s day

If asked to relate Pakistan’s political situation to a literary work or character, my first suggestion would be, something Orwellian. Or maybe, an Aldous Huxley novel. What I would not compare it to, is Dickens’ Miss Havisham from Great Expectations; the old, frigid woman who is impossibly fixated on her past and refuses to let go. On the eve of elections 2013, however, I came across an article that did just that.

The sentence,  “Siyasut main barabri mera haq” means, equality in politics is my right. In Pakistan, when it comes to women, politics and voting, the picture looks bleak. For instance according to this report by FAFEN (Fair and Free Election Network), a gender analysis was conducted, revealing startling results. Out of a total number of 4,671 candidates contesting for National Assembly seats in the 2013 elections in Pakistan, there are only 161 women contesting for the elections – or just 3.5% of the candidates are female! An alarmingly low number.

The twenty-first century described the rise of a new dawn for women in our part of the world. They were seen leaving their mark in various professional fields which were considered to be chiefly male dominated and they excelled. They also keenly participated in politics, another arena where men rule the roost, and proved their worth – a testimony of positive change in the mindsets of the people at large.