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PAKISTANShaping ICTs in Pakistan using women’s empowerment principlesBytes for allAisha Sarwari, Gul Bukhari and Shahzad Ahmadwww.bytesforall.pkIntroductionThis report seeks to provide a broad overview ofthe status of women’s rights in Pakistan, to identifyunique areas peculiar to Pakistan, and to contextualisethem in terms of the impact and potentialof information and communications technologies(ICTs). It will seek to highlight current challengesposed to women’s rights in Pakistan by ICTs aswell as identify the benefits already evident. Thereport will conclude with recommendations aimedat changing the current harm-benefit ratio when itcomes to gender and ICTs, moving away from theviolation of rights, towards the protection of rights.BackgroundCultural and societal diversity in Pakistan is extensivecompared to most developed/Western nations.In practice, women’s rights, apart from those enshrinedin law, vary widely depending on geography,education levels, and sometimes ethnicity. The caseof Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATAs) in Pakistanis unique in that they are not governed by thesame set of laws applicable to the rest of Pakistan,which impacts adversely on all genders in thoseareas. Women’s rights in FATAs (as defined and recognisedby international human rights conventionsand organisations) suffer more acutely because ofthe nature of tribal societies. It is therefore importantto note that the incidents mentioned in thisreport do not necessarily reflect the condition of allPakistani women, but may typify the condition ofmany belonging to a certain geographical, ethnic orreligious space. Likewise, observations of societalattitudes in this report will reflect threads developedfrom reported incidents across the countrythat may or may not apply in all instances.Women’s rights issues: The spectrumat a glanceOn average, Pakistani society may be describedas conservative and patriarchal in the socialand religious areas. Over the past 30 years, thisconservatism has increased both qualitativelyand quantitatively. That is, cultural and religiouspractices have, over time, become visibly more conservative,and a larger number of people adhere tothem. As an example, while the hijab (Islamic headcover) was unknown in Pakistan 20 years ago, it is acommon sight in urban centres today. There is alsoevidence of some elements of tribal culture seepinginto small pockets of urban areas too.One major aspect of this phenomenon is how itaffects women’s human rights in the country. Controlover women is a significant element of tribal andreligious values, giving shape to cultural practices.Separately, it is generally recognised in human rightsand educated civil society circles that many femalesubjugatingcultural practices (whether arising fromtribal/feudal customs or religion) aim to control womeneconomically as well as to control their sexuality.For example, the practice of “marrying” a womanto the Quran 1 in some feudal families is in reality ameans of keeping her portion of the inheritance fromfalling out of the control of male members of thefamily. Upon death, the inheritance of the unmarriedwoman passes on to the male family members of thedeceased (brothers, nephews, uncles).Given this, we see the manifestations of fiercelypatriarchal/conservative/feudal/tribal practices affectingalmost all areas of women’s life such as theright to education, right to work, freedom of association,freedom of choice (in marriage, movement,clothing, etc.), and freedom of speech.Whether triggered by a woman’s resistance tothe infringement of her rights or some other factors/motivations, these violations are often criminal innature. One typical and recurring example is the paradingof women naked or rape (to dishonour them)to requite male members of their families for real orperceived grievances. 2ICTs mirror societyWith the advent of ICTs it has become evident thatthese technologies, especially the internet andmobile telephony, have become additional ways toviolate, harass, threaten, subjugate or dishonour1 www.islamawareness.net/Marriage/Quran/married.html2 www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-085-2013187 / Global Information Society Watch