Pakistan: Women?s rights in emergencies

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Women tend to be worst affected during emergencies. Laura Eldon heard one inspiring story of women demanding fair treatment in Pakistan following the floods. A beneficiary of an Oxfam cash grant distribution displays her ID card along with her cash cheque. Photo: Jane Beesley/OxfamIn an emergency more so than ever, women tend to be worst affected. This came swiftly into focus here in Pakistan when devastating monsoon rains at the end of July swept the country, causing massive flooding from north to south. Millions of people fled their homes to seek shelter in crowded temporary camps, saving little more than the clothes on their backs. Whilst such conditions would be hard for anyone, they have been especially difficult for women. Forced to cohabit in ways against the social norms, and often unaware of their rights, they have been left especially vulnerable. One major challenge women have faced is a lack of identification cards, an essential lifeline to aid. In many families such cards are held only by the husband, but without an ID card women are unable to claim many of the benefits they are entitled to, including government compensation. This has become an especially important issue for female-headed households and those whose documents were washed away by the floods. The simple fact alone that shalwar kameez, women's traditional dress, doesn't have any pockets meant that far more women than men lost their documentation when the floods hit. Shining a light on women's rights No one is more sharply aware of such issues than the 40-odd attendees at a three-day workshop held in Lahore by Oxfam and the Aurat Foundation to address the role of female leadership in an emergency response. While some participants had been affected more than others, all had played a role in the relief effort, shining a much-needed light on the issue of women's rights in the process. Dr Nasim Shakeel from Punjab province was one such participant whose story was especially inspiring. A member of a local women's pressure group, she recounted how, when organising for women to be registered for CNIC cards, her group had been visited by an elder from a nearby village requesting that someone come and register his community for cards. They agreed, only to be met with resistance when they suggested that women should be included in the process. "Women shouldn?t take part," the elder told them. "The men can get registered, and this is enough." Determined to make sure that women were registered too, the group visited the local government official, requesting that any registration include both men and women. When he attempted to brush them off, proclaiming to be busy for the next three weeks, the women persisted and checked his diary themselves. Upon seeing that he had time to go the next day, they told him that unless he went to the village to register people, 50 women would come to his office and demand registration. Their persistence paid off and eventually he agreed. Turning up at the village the next day, female community members were initially reluctant to attend the registration, unsure whether they would be accepted. But after organising for an announcement to be broadcast from the mosque stating that women were welcome, a small crowd soon grew. For the first time ever, over 50 women in the community were able to register for ID cards of their own ? a vital lifeline to aid and public services. Bringin about a quiet revolution While traditional customs and laws have seen Pakistani women suffer frequent marginalisation, listening as participants from our Raising Her Voice and We Can campaigns animatedly discussed women's rights was an incredibly inspiring experience. There's still a long way to go, but bit-by-bit stories of change are happening at the grassroots level. And it's passionate and dedicated men and women like Dr Nasim that are bringing about a quiet revolution of their own. Oxfam's response to the Pakistan floods Donate to Oxfam's Pakistan flood response More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news