Issues Confronting Rural Women and Prophetic Guidance for Their Resolution: An Analytical and Research-Based Study in the Light of the Seerah

دیہی خواتین کے مسائل اور ان کے حل کے لیے سیرتِ نبوی ﷺ کی رہنمائی: ایک تحقیقی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

Before and after the creation of Pakistan, there have been long debates about women's rights among thinkers. Efforts have also been made in this regard for legislation, which has seen substantial results. This is the reason that women's representation has been seen in all spheres of practical life, and more efforts are being made to improve this aspect at the official and non-official levels.

On the other hand, there are several regions of Pakistan where more efforts are needed for women's rights. The main reason for this is that, in spite of religious teachings and legislation, male dominance is prevalent in some areas. Women in these areas are facing many painful problems due to which they are not getting opportunities to play their positive role in the country's development.

Pakistani newspapers and other media continue to publish such news, according to which the birth of a daughter is regarded as inauspicious. Daughters are being killed after their birth. They are being deprived of education. Sometimes, women are killed in the name of honor. They are deprived of inheritance after marriage. Sometimes they are subjected to acid attacks. Moreover, there are cases that indicate that some women get divorced by their husbands on their deathbeds. In particular areas, women are forcefully married to the Quran. Making women victims of sexual violence and psychological harassment by landlords is also observed many times. Sexual harassment of women on the pretense of employment or work is also common.

In this document, I have collected evidence from newspaper reports, court case precedents, and reports from public and private NGOs that show women living in rural areas in Pakistan are facing the above-mentioned problems. After describing these details, I have analyzed the problems faced by women in the light of Islamic teachings and presented their solutions. In this regard, along with the rights of women mentioned in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), I have also clarified the role of women in terms of national and country development, as seen during the era of the Prophet and the rightly guided caliphs. I have also explained to what extent women are given these rights in Pakistan's law and how the law can prove to be helpful and supportive in providing rights, along with suggestions for further reforms based on Islamic teachings.