‘Khatoons’ in Women Empowerment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes pride in his government for making resolutions and furthering the empowerment of women in the country.

The new government often refers to the term ‘Nari Shakti’, but is this inclusive of the minorities? Are women from all sections of society taken into consideration when we speak of empowerment?

Through the instant triple talaq Bill, the government has aimed at empowering and protecting the rights of women belonging to the Muslim community, but has failed to address the menace of polygamy.

Even Muslim countries that follow the Shariah Law have taken steps to keep a check on Polygamy like Pakistan for instance.

The Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah, in a landmark judgment had declared that any Pakistani entering into second marriage must get the approval of the Arbitration Council even if he has consent from his first wife.

Any man intending to contract another marriage during the subsistence of an existing marriage must observe the procedure and fulfill the conditions prescribed by the legislature. If he fails to do so, the consequences would lead to imprisonment or fine or both.

The powerful clergy in Pakistan had always opposed restrictions on number of wives and yet the country successfully prescribed restrictions over the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Pakistan is a country with a total population of 19.7 crore as per the latest census with a whopping 96% Muslim population. India, on the other hand, has a total of 133.92 crore people with about 20 crore adherents of Islam, which comprises less than 15% of the total population.

Why then do we turn a deaf ear towards this problem of the minorities? Is Modi Government’s woman empowerment exclusively for the ‘NARIS’, excluding the ‘KHATOONS’?

Rifa Deka,

Royal School of Communications and Media,

Royal Global University,

Guwahati, Assam.