By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Wednesday held a dialogue on “Role of Women in Literature” in connection with Women’s Day.
The event brought together a vibrant gathering of literary enthusiasts, scholars, and university students. The event was headed by writer, poet, and Chairman of PAL Dr Najeeba Arif.
Sharing her views on the occasion, writer and novelist Fatima Usman said that writers should use the word gender equality instead of feminism. She said, “There is a dire need to write about women and their issues because they exist in today’s society.” It’s high time to identify and honor their role in society.” Fatima further said that women shouldn’t teach their daughters to tolerate domestic violence but to raise their voices against it.
Renowned author and poet Tariq Hashmi said that the feminist role was well defined by author and poet Molana Hali in one of his poems, “Chup ki Dad.” Molana Hali stressed giving justice to women by giving them their genuine rights.
He thanked Chairman PAL for inviting him to this important dialogue, acknowledging her leading role in one of the well-reputed literary organizations.
Chairman of the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), Dr Najeeba Arif, expressed her gratitude to the distinguished guests for their active participation in the dialogue. She emphasized that it was important not only to recognize the role of women in the development of literature but also to examine how women were portrayed in contemporary literature.
Speaking about the role of women in society, she highlighted that equality did not mean uniformity. Women should be valued and respected for their individuality, rather than being expected to adopt traditionally male roles to gain social acceptance. Dr Najeeba further stressed that women’s work should be acknowledged and fairly compensated.
“A housewife takes on multiple roles without any leave, salary, or benefits. She serves as an elderly caregiver, a childcare provider, a nurse, a cook, a washer, a cleaner, and a social net-worker. All these responsibilities are crucial in maintaining the family unit and fostering physically, mentally, and psychologically healthy generations. These tasks shall be monetized to provide women with economic empowerment,” she asserted.
She further said that a woman’s rightful share of inheritance should be given to her. She emphasized that a strong society depended on a strong family unit, which in turn relied on the contributions of both men and women. Both should play an active role in sustaining this foundation.
“This can only be achieved when both men and women have access to knowledge and exposure to diverse life experiences,” she added.
Dr Najeeba also underscored the need to support and respect working mothers. She expressed concern over the stigma that working mothers face, often being perceived as less efficient. She stressed that they should be provided with all necessary support to continue their professional work while raising children, if they wish so.
“Well-equipped daycare centers, flexible working hours, and other facilities should be made available to working mothers,” she concluded.
