Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for women’s empowerment and celebrating their achievements, but what does Women’s day actually mean to half of the women in Pakistan? We see celebrities putting up statuses, pictures and all that jazz, but what for? I asked some coworkers what women’s day meant to them, and they said it was just like any other day.
Women belonging to the middle and upper middle-class know what women’s day is and what it’s supposed to stand for, but what about women from the underprivileged strata of society who are barely getting by despite working tirelessly day in and day out? They don’t know what women’s day is. A caretaker who’s busy taking care of some snooty social butterfly’s spoiled brat of a child doesn’t know or care what women’s day is, and why should she? It’s not like the woman she’s working for is treating her like an actual human being. I attended a bridal shower a while back, and all of the other women were either married or engaged. This one woman had a child who must’ve been 4 years old, and trotting behind him was a caretaker who couldn’t be more than 16. Everyone was doting at the child’s behavior, knocking over things, dropping food everywhere, but I wasn’t. I know, kids are kids, but the fact that the mother couldn’t be bothered to stop her child from doing all these things really struck a chord with me. She didn’t even care, talking about workout regimes and fashion meant more to her. When the poor caretaker did try to keep the child in line, he looked at her with scorn. Even a 4 year old knows the place of a servant, why? Because it has been conditioned into him as he observes his mother’s behaviour towards her.
What do we, as a collective of privileged women, do for fellow women who aren’t as fortunate? Absolutely nothing. We look down upon them, dehumanise them and try to tear them down to the best of our abilities. A woman with a pair of $2000 glasses, dressed in designer garb from head to toe, will haggle with a poor woman for her monthly salary. The lower the better. She can afford trips abroad, and frivolous kitty parties, but paying an honest woman fair wages that she deserves? As low as 5000 PKR per month? It’s highway robbery!
I did not celebrate women’s day, and I probably won’t do it next year either, because we as women have failed not only as a support system for each other, but as decent human beings. Yes, there have been short bursts of positivity, like Careem’s female partner program, but has the government passed a law that helps women in any way on Women’s day? Did we treat our housekeepers, caretakers any different than we usually do on Women’s day? Everything I’ve said may strike a chord with a lot of people, and everyone will rush to their own defence, outlining all the good that they’ve done. Riddle me this, though, if you really are that good, do you have to shout it from the rooftops of social media?
Kluchit Staff
Ameera Mehmood
