[un] Shaded Territories: a design for women empowerment in rural Pakistan.
Loading...
Date
2014-08-06
Authors
Anam, Khan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Waterloo
Abstract
The separation between Pakistan and India in 1947 was a direct
result of the struggle between two different religious groups in the
region; Hindus, and Muslims. Of all the provinces split, Punjab
was the only one province that was split between the two nations.
This division caused one of the biggest migrations in history,
affecting about 10 million people.1 People left behind their homes,
their lives, and beloved religious buildings to start fresh in a new,
unknown land. This intermingling of people at the time of the
partition, resulted in a displaced variety of cultural and religious
practices.
To this day, Punjab’s rural population suffers from caste system
marriages, female infanticide, and oppression of women, including
a lack of educational opportunities for females. Many rural
families believe that if their women are educated, social risk can
rise. In some cases, these ancient cultural traditions are mistakenly
thought to be religious obligations.
77.1% of Kasur district’s population lives in rural areas and
47.64% of Kasur’s population is female.2 Of the rural female
population, only 32.7% are literate, compared to 55.2% of the
males.3 More than half of the female population in Kasur is thus
deprived of an education as a result, and many are married at a
young age with expectations to start a family. These young women
cannot read or write the language they speak, and many become
victims of domestic violence.
A design for a skill development institution is suggested to
address the social, cultural and economical challenges faced by the
impoverished female population of rural Punjab, Pakistan. The
proposal is situated in the town of Kasur with a program aimed at
teaching independence.
Description
Keywords
Kasur, women, empowerment, Pakistan, domestic violence, skill development