Being a woman is not easy anywhere in the world, as the world is largely unjust and patriarchal. In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Islamic principles are often politicized, with rare instances where they are actually applied and mainstreamed.
Hence, the lives of all honest and poor people, in general, and some special segments of the population, in particular, are nothing but a living hell. This hell is an even greater ordeal for marginalised communities.
Advocating for the case of many segments of marginalised communities is neither safe nor simple. While women's rights and equality appear to be high on the agenda, or at least on social media platforms, in reality, there are many loopholes in this apparently well-woven narrative.
I am sharing a shortened version of one of the many examples of the multilayered resistance thrown upon and the extent of efforts by non-elite women like myself who are determined to maintain their independent thinking and carry out their original work for social justice.
With the power of passion and self-belief in the idea's potential, I started working more and more in this area
Not all classes of women receive equal representation at the agenda table. The powerful and influential members of the elitist feminist club carefully curate the women's agenda, and the world subsequently sees only what they want to show. Noticing the lack of recognition of heterogeneity among women based on their marital status and socio-economic class, I began working on gender-based taxation back in 2008.
With singular effort, I prepared the case for women who are disabled, divorced, divorced mothers, and never-married women above the age of 40 in Pakistan and advocated for a tax break to contribute to the economic empowerment of these women.
My ideas attracted some serious listeners like eminent economist Dr Kaiser Bengali. With the power of passion and self-belief in the idea's potential, I started working more and more in this area. In 2010, despite lacking a strong supportive network or even a simple shout-out on social media forums by women influencers, I was able to publish a book, the very first of its kind, with the support of a German foundation (FNF). I am truly grateful to its leadership and then-country representative, Mr. Olaf Kellerhoff, who gave me an appointment for a meeting and allocated time to listen to my pitches.
He also introduced me to a prominent businessman Mr. Zubair Malik who was then heading the Economic Freedom Network, a partner organization of the FNF. This new idea interested them, and they agreed to publish my book “A Tax Break For Economic Freedom: The case of divorced mothers divorced disabled and never married (above 40 years) Pakistani women - A Civic Entrepreneur’s Perspectives. (A PDF copy can be downloaded here).
One elite woman feminist speaking on behalf of nearly all those who rule this industry mocked me and judged my grasp on feminism
During the writing process, I met various stakeholders. To my extreme disappointment, even many women economists, activists, and champions of human rights did not support the idea of a tax break for single women through means other than widowhood. It is an awful sight to see many of them receiving awards, foreign fellowships, and accolades for being champions or custodians of women's empowerment.
Many important and influential platforms copied my work without acknowledgment.
Well, who said ours is a fair world? Some men and women clearly created hurdles for me, as was evident in the post-publication phase of the book.
At one recognised forum of women's rights that got funding for the empowerment of widows, I was even taunted and ridiculed for the categorisation of women.
One elite woman feminist speaking on behalf of nearly all those who rule this industry mocked me and judged my grasp on feminism.
Another important observation was that there used to be a significant turnout in events attended by foreign donors, and we received good press coverage, however, when I presented the book to civil society forums, I was met with indifference (this is the politest word I can think of).
I still recall an event organised by the renowned scholar, historian, and poet, the late Professor Ashfaque Saleem Mirza, one of my few supporters. The discussion at SAFMA had very few attendees, with only three guests showing up. That day, once again, many champions of equality and inclusivity in Islamabad revealed their true colours.
In Pakistan, widows receive tax exemptions on their owned property, based on the understanding that the male spouse was the primary breadwinner
As I always say, it is extremely difficult to live and thrive on equal terms with the elites, especially if you are weak in the art of flattering. We waited for participants for two hours, then laughed to cheer ourselves up and left with our heads held high.
I must acknowledge the support I received from a beat reporter, Mr. Azam Khan, a thoroughly professional journalist whom I met there for the first and last time at that event. He inquired about the book and the following day; I discovered a well-written story in an English newspaper that he contributed to.
I have become accustomed to intellectual dishonesty, rejection, and adversity from so-called progressive elements in our social development, media, and entertainment industry. It is not about not gaining the limelight or self-projections. It is about systemic and systematic elitism and exclusion of all those, in general, and women, in particular, who fail to win hearts despite being intelligent, or maybe due to not being street smart.
Take a random sample of women holding influential positions in IFIs, UN agencies, high commissions, powerful embassies, donor groups in Pakistan, or media-covered projects led by individuals with elite backgrounds.
It is safe to assert that a significant majority of them come from privileged backgrounds. If anyone wishes to document my perspective and understand the underlying reasons, I am open to participating in a fair discussion forum.
Here, I want to make another attempt to draw the attention of those who can make a difference to the discrimination and irrationality in our taxation system.
I have come to understand that endemic elitism, combined with pervasive patriarchy, nurtures the essential pragmatism of so-called intellectuals in liberal, feminist, economist, politician, and media circles
In Pakistan, widows receive tax exemptions on their owned property, based on the understanding that the male spouse was the primary breadwinner, and now that he is deceased, the widow should be granted some relief.
It may be accredited that in a traditional Muslim society, widows are not stigmatised as much as divorced women, never-married aging women, divorced mothers, or abandoned wives.
I used to wonder why the business system does not take into consideration the burden of stigma and financial obligations of single women who are not widowed. I no longer wonder because I have come to understand that endemic elitism, combined with pervasive patriarchy, nurtures the essential pragmatism of so-called intellectuals in liberal, feminist, economist, politician, and media circles. Therefore, it is no longer a surprise to see public policies filled with urban, elite, and various other biases serving the single agenda of the growth of institutional and individual elite privileges.
In the global landscape of tax policies, it is essential to examine how other nations have approached similar issues. Singapore is one such country that initially has a tax relief targeted at married women to encourage them to continue working and to raise families. Later on, as I read in a news report this February, its Minister for Finance had also extended this relief to divorced women and widows with dependent children.
I still want to hope and look forward to the day when human life will be viewed with empathy and with an intersectional lens. This requires a lot of courage in the social development industry. How apt Dr. Mahbub Haq was when he once said that in the world of development, there is no shortage of intellect but a lack of courage.