Sleeved up to challenge gender stereotypes

A young girl in her late teens, full of confidence which was evident from her balanced tone and glittering eyes, announced the commencement of the RHIYA youth parliament 2006 in a manner similar to that of a speaker of a real parliament. Ms. Fatima, the speaker of RHIYA youth parliament conducted the proceedings of the session by inviting parliamentarians form National Assembly and Senate as well as the representatives of the donor agencies including UN and INGOs to deliberate on issues of youth participation, reproductive health and fostering opportunities for overall youth development in Pakistan.

For Fatima, it was her first visit to any city outside her native place, Killa Saifullah, a remote and less developed district in the province of Balochistan. It’s an area embedded with strong cultural traditions where women face a number of social restrictions. Very few women are seen in the streets of Killa Saifullah as it is not appreciable act for women to go outside their homes alone, even for a medical check-up. Most marriages are arranged. Parents are fully authorized to select spouses, both for their sons and daughters.

PAVHNA (Pakistan voluntary health and Nutrition Association) , a national NGO in Pakistan has established ten Youth Friendly Centers (YFCs) in Killa Saifulah to address the needs of young people through culturally appropriate and socially sensitive approaches. In Pakistan, RHIYA was implemented in five districts through three implementing partners namely SACHET, MSS and PAVHNA. They reached out to young people through 80 YFCs established in rural and urban areas. Due to cultural sensitivities, separate YFCs were established for boy and girls. The YFCs services were based on infotainment approach. The activities of YFCs were diverse in nature i.e. ARH awareness, capacity building, sports, counseling, peer education, advocacy, skill development, life skills based education etc.

“(…) I realized my importance as a human being and above all I felt the freedom; freedom of thought and freedom of expression (…)”

Narrating her story, Fatima informs that being the youngest among her four siblings, she also faces the challenge of supporting her family, the retired parents, sisters and a mentally and physically challenged brother. She paid for her education, earning her self a bachelor’s degree by working part time in a local private school for a mere US $ 20 a month. Fatima visits a girl’s YFC regularly and supports the center as a volunteer. She also participated in a number of training workshops organized by RHIYA on ARH issues.

Expressing views about her exposure in RHIYA youth summit in Islamabad Fatima says “I sought the opportunity to express my views on a number of topics at this national level event, I felt important for being heard by people from different walks of life including those who were at the helm of power and decision making. It was first instance in my life to have made a speech in such a big function. The reporters of national newspapers wanted to interview me, I shared my views and was extremely happy, I realized my importance as a human being and above all I felt the freedom; freedom of thought and freedom of expression. Being part of RHIYA for years, I have learnt how to break the silence about gender stereotypes and I have also learnt the art of challenging traditions with substantive arguments with my family and those in my neighborhood. I am more confident now to negotiate with my parents and community members about my rights including liberty to move freely and making informed choices on all matters related to my life including reproductive health rights. I also feel proud for being able to convince parents to send their girls to the Youth Friendly Centers”.

Answering a question about her marriage she says “you know in our community, girls are often married at young ages- in some cases as young as 15. My parents wanted to marry me off without my will to this man who is much older and owns a few acres of land. I was able to fight for my right. After much efforts I was able to convince them about my decision of not being interested to do so” she adds “ you know I am also concerned about my marriage, men are less educated and are less sensitive about how a women feels, thinks…..I hope my husband [to be] will not consider me an object”.

In her village, there were only four girls having education up to bachelor’s level. Realizing the importance of education and of course motivated through RHIYA, she has set up a coaching center in her village to provide tuition services to those girls who seek to get educated. Answering a question about her future plans she said [confidently] “I will contest in the coming elections and will work to ensure the women rights through political activism”

Saleemullah Baig