Brig (r) Iqbal Ahmed

1. Women Empowerment is a clich'eslogan coined by the western society to exploit the very being and sancity of the women. Under the garb of this slogan the female segment of society in the West is exploited by giving a lollypop in the name of empowerment and is made to endure all the injustices that the male domination desires. Just a few instances where the so called empowered women are put through are; to be an equal partner in earning and sharing the financial burden of the family. Yet she has to go through the pangs of child birth, raise the family and fight her emotional hormonal changes she undergoes during various spells. Women under this empowerment have been made to believe to retain their independence by remaining out of wedlock, yet live with the male partner get into an unnatural illicit relationship dear illicit children and raise them as single mothers when the male partners find if easy to walk away leaving them hig and dry. A woman of the West under this lopsided arrangement, which she willingly accepts, has to endure much more than she is created for. Women Empowerment is a clever concoction of the Western Society befooling her and burdening her with the responsibilities naturally falling to the male segment.

2. Actual Women Empowerment is provided in Islam by the Creator where all women enjoying euqal rights have been guaranteed protection, shelter, sustenance, right to inherit property, freedom of expression, adopt a profession suiting her physiue and caliber. The Creator has ordained upon her male partner to be suave, kind and compassionate to her and treat her with dignity. HE has warned him that a conduct in violation will definitely be questioned and will not go unpunished. All that is needed inour case is to heed to the commandments of Allah Subhan- Wo-Taala and give the women their rightful due. We do not require to look towards the warped Western Society's Empowerment Slogan. Our Women are empowered by the Creator and HE has taken upon himself to have it implemented through punishment and reward.

3. We can ensure that the above rights are exercised in the right spirit and manner by our women firstly; by educating them to equip them with the knowledge of their rigths and obligations and secondly; by creating a culture of tolerence towards them by their male partners. This again requires to be done by educating the male part of the society giving them a through understanding of their rights and obligations and the place and honour bestwoed to women by the creator as mother, sister and wife.

Source: Monthly Dukhtran-e-Islam, March 2019