1. SocialChange FORE 6331
FinalApplication Paper
Fatema Tuz-Zohra
December3, 2014
Empowering Women with Examples
“In the nineteenth century, the central moral challenge was slavery. In the
twentieth century, it was the battle against totalitarianism. We believe that in this
century the paramount moral challenge will be the struggle for gender equality
around the world” Kristof and WuDunn (2010). The dominance of men as leaders
in the education, corporatesectorand politics for a long time has established the
patriarchal society. Western society adapted to allowing women to express
themselves and participate as professionals earlier as compared to the countries in
Southern Asia specifically Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. But these countries
have seen more women leaders as prime ministers and presidents even with
comparatively lesser opportunities in education and corporateleadership for
women. Bound by culture, tradition and competition for attaining economic
growth, women were discriminated as the weaker sex instead of being treated as
equal contributor to the economy and society as their male counterparts. The
objective of this paper is not to prove we need more women leaders but to propose
allowing women the same/equal opportunities as men in leadership positions
irrespective of the outcome. Therefore, this paper aims at explaining the gender

2. discrimination in Southern Asia specifically, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan with
the help of Bell Hooks (1992) and Kristof and WuDunn (2010). It also
demonstrates the recent progress of gender equality in terms of providing equal
opportunities for women with Coser(1977).
The culture of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are very similar to one another due
to its shared history until the partition of Pakistan from India in 1947 and
subsequent partition of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971. This shared history
helps in understanding that reasons for gender discrimination in one country is
similar to that of the other two countries. Although the history of these countries
have some very powerful women role models who contributed to the educational
and political front at the time where participation of majority of women was
limited to domestic activities. These role models were able to initiate a change in
opportunities for women but did not have an impact on the speed of the progress
due to strong hold of biased religious and cultural factors. From Shrivastava (2003)
we see that Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain (shown in picture 1), is an example
of a feminist writer and social worker from Bangladesh (which during her time was
India) who openly condemned men in 1929 for withholding education from
women in the name of religion at Bengal Women’s Education Conference as she
said, “Theopponents of the female education say that women will be unruly ... fie!
They call themselves Muslims and yet go againstthe basic tenet of Islam which

3. gives equalright to education. If men are not led astray once educated, why should
women?”
Picture 1. Begum Roquia Sakhawat Hussain
It can be seen that it’s not religion that restricts women from attaining education
but the interpretation of the religious practice by the religious leaders dominate
whether women should be educated or not? Should they be leaders or not? Can
they have a career or not? The misinterpretation of religious teachings is also
supported by Kristof and WuDunn (2010) as they state, “Muslims sometimes note
that such conservative attitudes have little to do so with the Koran and arise from
culture more than religion. That’s true: In these places, even religious minorities
and irreligious people are often deeply repressive towards women.” Repressing a
group is a form of discrimination that is achieved by making the group feel like
‘the other’. While a group can be seen as ‘the other’ when they are treated as

4. inferior or superior but either ways, it still is discrimination and it still is
stereotyping as Bell Hooks (1992) explains, “Stereotypes, however inaccurate, are
one form of representation. Like fictions, they are created to serve as substitutions,
standing in for what is real.” Therefore, some of these stereotypes against women’s
ability to be as competent as their male counterpart mainly emerge from the
misinterpreted religious beliefs and cultural norms. Cultural norms include beliefs
or logics suchas, if there is a choice then it is better to educate a son as he is more
capable of supporting the family in the future as compared to an educated daughter
who eventually will get married and will no longer belong to her parents. Such
assumptions that, “sons are more capable of contributing to the economic growth
of the family” can be translated as men as leaders/contributors is a necessity while
women as leaders/contributors is a choice. Gender discrimination in Bangladesh,
India and Pakistan where sons are seen as the sign of progress while daughters are
categorized as weak has seen some evil practices such as female feticide, sati,
slavery, abuse etc.
However, gender discrimination does not stop at the assumption of considering
women as weaker than men but also includes the discrimination between women
of different cultures. As Kristof and WuDunn (2010) write, “Westerners
sometimes feel sorry for Muslim women in a way that leaves them uncomfortable,
even angry.” They further state that, “Americans not only come across as

5. patronizing but also often miss the complexity of gender roles in the Islamic
world.” However, the patronizing concern is not limited to only the women in the
Muslim world but among different groups. For example, what Europeans believe is
equality for women is not the same in Asians or vice versa. Interestingly, the cause
of gender discrimination can be seen in two different light. On one hand we can
explain that the discrimination of women is caused by creating the sense of
otherness in considering women as incompetent as Bell Hooks (1992) states, “the
absence of recognition is a strategy that facilitates making a group the other.” On
the other hand we can explain the same discrimination as domination – repression
schema by Foucault (1977) as he explains, “Repressionis none other than the
realization, within the continual warfare of this pseudo-peace, ofa perpetual
relationship of force.” He further explains, “The domination – repression schema
or war – repression schema for which the pertinent opponentis not between the
legitimate or illegitimate, as in the first schema, but between struggle and
submission.” Therefore, it can be said that gender discrimination in Bangladesh,
India and Pakistan has its roots in patriarchal hold on cultural norms and religious
misinterpretation.
Even though the cultural norms and religious misinterpretation resulted in
discriminating women and has had a dominating hold in the slow pace of change,
in recent times we see a change where creating equal opportunities for women has

6. accelerated. The historical figure, Fatima Jinnah, seen in picture 2, is an example
of one such woman who was a dental surgeon until 1929 when after the death of
her husband joined her brother Mohammed Ali Jinnah in politics as stateswoman
and one of the leading founders of Pakistan. With her efforts to eliminate the socio-
economic disparities against women in Pakistan has earned her the right as the
greatest woman Pakistan has ever produced and a source of awakening women’s
rights.
Picture 2. Fatima Jinnah
The trend in the past was that these women roles models came from politically
powerful families to participate in creating the change towards equality for women.
The trend still continues in areas where more progress towards creating equal
opportunities for women in needed – Queen Rania, The Queen of Jordonis one
such example for the Arab world. And for countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh,

7. it has seen women prime ministers like Benazir Bhutto, seen in picture 3, who was
the first woman prime minister to lead the democratic government in Pakistan and
the Muslim world followed by Khaleda Zia (shown in picture 4) in Bangladesh
who became the second woman but first female prime minister of Bangladesh in
1991.
Picture 3. Benazir Bhutto Picture 4. Khaleda Zia
After Khaleda Zia’s first term Bangladesh elected another female prime minister,
Sheikh Hasina (shown in picture 5) was elected, who is currently leading the
country in the same position.

8. Picture 5. Sheikh Hassina
While, Benazir Bhutto and Sheik Hasina were daughters to the prime minister and
president of their respective nations. Khaleda Zia was the wife of a former
president before starting her political career. The common denominator among
these women is their powerful connections in politics prior to assuming their
leadership roles. However, Prathiba Patil, seen in picture 6, is one such example of
a woman president who started her career in politics without any family connection
and eventually became the first female president of India from 2007 - 2012. Even
though opportunities have opened for women in politics with the help of
reservations, the disproportionate ratio of number of male presidents/prime
ministers to that of women presidents/prime ministers in the recent years is the
evidence to resistance of female leadership in politics.

9. Picture 6. Prathiba Patil
Keeping politics aside, for countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and India there are
examples of those women who climbed the ladder of leadership with their
competency in education and corporatesectors. On one hand we have Malala
Yousafzai, shown in picture 7, who is the youngest-ever individual to win the
Noble peace prize due to her contribution in social activism and promoting
education for women. Her advocacyhas turned into an international movement to
encourage female education. The right to attain knowledge is a simple right that
must be given without any restriction to any individual irrespective of gender. And
today where a good portion of women are willing to get educated and are getting
educated the problem they face is investment as Kristof and WuDunn (2010) state,
“The challenge today is to prod the world to face up the women locked in brothels
and teenage girls with fistulas curled up on the floor of isolated huts. We hope to
see a broad movement emerge to battle gender inequality around the world and to
push for education and opportunities for girls around the world”.

10. Picture 7. Malala Yousafzai
On the other hand, we have another example of empowering women is the newly
appointed country manager of Microsoft in Bangladesh is a woman named, Sonia
Bashir Kabir (shown in picture 8). Educated in the United States, she returned to
Bangladesh in 2005 and has taken over leadership roles in Amara Technologies,
Dell and Microsoft. She was also the CEO and country director of Dell in
Bangladesh prior to returning to Microsoft. These women serve as examples as to
why we need to be able to promote female education, creating job and leadership
opportunities without gender bias. But as Coser(1977) quotes Comte, “The
constitution of the new system cannot take place before the destruction of the old”
from the Law of Human Progress. The NGO, government aids, government quota
for female leaders etc. are a step towards the new system of educating girls and
creating equal opportunities for them as we begin to realize the implication of

11. gender discrimination as Kristof and WuDunn (2010) strongly suggest, “The
economic implication of gender discrimination are most serious. To deny women
is to deprive a country of labor and talent, but – even – worse to undermine the
drive to achievement of boys and men.”
Picture 8. Sonia Bashir Kabir
In conclusion, the future of developing countries especially Bangladesh, India and
Pakistan largely depend on gender equality for women in attaining education and
creating opportunities in jobs. Once this progress continues, it opens opportunities
for women in leadership roles in education, corporatesector and politics without
having to depend largely on the influence of their families. Instead, eliminating
gender inequality creates a future where leadership ability is dependent on the
competency of an individual irrespective of their gender as Kristof and WuDunn
state, “An Indian-style quota of women officeholders seems to break down gender
barriers so that afterward the political system becomes more democratic and open.”
Therefore, moving towards gender equality will allow an individual to assume

12. leadership roles with their experience, skills, competency and not harshly judged
based on their gender. Because to deny a competent individual a leadership role is
to deny a nation of progress.
References
Kristof, N.D., WuDunn, S. (2010). Half the Sky. New York. First Vintage Book
Addition.
Hooks, B. (1992). Black Looks: Race and Representation. Boston, MA. South End
Press. Pg. 165 – 178
Coser, L.A. (1977). The Law of Human Progress. Masters of Sociological
Thought:Ideasin Historical and Social Context.
Shrivastava, G. (2003). The Legend Maker: Some Eminent Muslim Women of
India. Page 87.