EDITORIAL

Pakistani women are trapped in a web of dependency and subordination due to their low social, economic, and political status in society. The majority of women suffer from all forms of poverty. In order to change women's position and societal view of their inferiority, structural changes need to be brought about in the social and economic order that shape our social world.
Women are almost totally absent from the state structures and decision-making bodies that could introduce such structural changes. Women's inclusion in governance structures is critical to bring about substantive changes in the development policies and programmes that would lead to a shift in gender relationship in the society.
The persuasion of the State to translate its commitment to gender equality into concrete reality is the major challenge faced by women in Pakistan. Feminization of poverty; political participation; violence against women and translation of gender commitments into practice are the four critical areas in ADB's gender strategy for Pakistan.
Feminization of poverty is a global phenomenon. Women are the poorest among the poor and the most vulnerable among communities.
Among poorer households, incidence of chronic malnutrition is higher among female children. Women's access and control over productive resources are extremely limited. In addition to suffering from the same deprivations as men, women face the additional suffering of unequal opportunities to education, health, and other social services.
Poverty manifests itself along the lines of class, gender, region, and rural-urban divides. The incidence of poverty in rural areas is higher than in urban areas.
Women's participation in politics as voters, candidates, and political activists is increasing. However, this has not led to the emergence of women as leaders in the arena of formal politics.
The failure of government structures to redress gender disparities in access to productive resources and adequate provision of social services for women have led to rethinking among women activists that they must become part of the state structure to influence policies and politics in their own favour.
Violence against women is the most powerful mechanism used by family and society, to silence voices of resistance to the existing gender-related social order.
Violence against women is a fundamental violation of the human right to life, physical safety, self-respect, and dignity. Some forms of violence against women, especially domestic and customary violence, are so entrenched in the culture that they are hardly recognised as violence and largely condoned by the society. Also, the incidences of violence are grossly under-reported. However, a few micro-level studies give some indication of the form and extent of violence inflicted on women.
Rape is one of the most common crimes against women but grossly under-reported due to the shame attached to the victim. Women are also victims of male honour. If the male honor is compromised in any way, the womenfolk of the rival party are humiliated. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan recorded 48 such cases in 1992-1994.
The increasing violence against women is a matter of serious concern. A society where violence against women is endemic can never fully develop either socially or economically. Violence in the private domain undermines women's confidence and self-esteem and destroys their health, while the fear of sexual assault in the public domain deprives them of their full participation in all aspects of development. This is a high social and economic cost for the society to pay.
Pakistan is one of those countries that has appropriated the gender discourse and has reflected it adequately in its national level policies and programmes. It is a signatory to numerous international conventions, including the Convention on The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
In order to expand the base of social movement for gender equality, civil society needs to be strengthened to be able to fulfil its role.