| By shakir,
on 06-08-2003 09:36
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Career and Professionalism in Women
The Yesteryears
There was a time when the mere existence of a woman was seen as evil. She was considered below humanity and hence, had no rights as a human being. Thus, there was no question of associating the word ‘career’ or ‘profession’ with the term ‘woman.’
Then came the time when the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) liberated women from their pathetic state. They were bestowed with full rights as human beings. They were told that men and women held equal status in the eyes of Allah (SWT). The basis for good or evil; was the extent of leading lives in accordance with the Islamic rulings rather than being a male or a female. The Holy Quran says...
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” Surah Al-Hujurat Ayah 13
“Whoever works righteousness man or woman and has faith verily to him will We give a new life a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” Surah An-Nahl Ayah 97
Even at that time, there wasn’t any glaring concept of career or any hard and fast professions for women, though the Ummahat-ul-Momineen especially Hazrat Aisha (R.A.) used to impart religious education amongst the Sahaba and the women of that time.
The Birth of Feminism
However, a totally new era came into being when the feminist movement gained momentum in the mid 20th century. Labeling themselves as the champions of women’s rights, they set a totally different standard for the prestige of women. They called for the liberation of women from their domestic duties and their subordinate role to the male members of the family. Ann Oakley introduced the sociology of housework in which she went as far as to attribute mental illness to the household chores required to be done by women. Feminist sociologists called for the equality of sexes, especially with regard to conjugal roles and the economic sphere of the society. They claimed that women have as much right as men to acquire higher education, get jobs, earn money and be financially independent. Working shoulder to shoulder with men was established by them to be the basis for acquiring prestige in society. At the same time, the advancement of the service sector and the decline of manual jobs, coupled with an increasing trend of materialism and aspirations of a higher living standard stimulated women to take up jobs and gain a financial stronghold.
Muslims and Westernization
Muslims in the contemporary world have absorbed the Western values to a large extent. Therefore, they seem to take the same standard for prestige, especially for women. We find that women increasingly view staying at home and performing their domestic duties as derogatory, and instead more women are now adopting those professions for careers which have traditionally been dominated by men. These include women politicians, ambassadors, scientists, pilots and engineers. Specialized institutions have now developed to impart education at university level to women; more women are now acquiring higher education and equipping themselves with the skills which they would need to gain a vocation in the job market.
So What Does Islam Say About this?
The infamous views that are all too common on this subject are, not surprisingly, very discouraging. The media and the anti-Islamic elements all take too much interest in this subject and target the vulnerable audience. Some of these views include: -
- Islam inhibits the talents of women
- Islam simply looks to confine women within the household
- Staying within the house has adverse effects on the intrinsic qualities of the female mind
- The skills of women vegetate when they are expected to perform only the monotonous, tedious household jobs
The modern approach towards tackling such heavy criticism has not been very encouraging as well. There has been a lot of apologetic attitude, the basis of which are statements like “But Islam does not say…..However these clerics have given the following interpretation…..The real interpretation is this…..” And most of these statements are also as false as the criticism above.
Islam encourages both men and women to acquire education. Ahadis of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) like "Seek knowledge even in China", "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave", and "Verily the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets", have echoed throughout the history of Islam and incited Muslims to seek knowledge wherever it might be found. In the above ahadis, we do not find any distinction between men and women, neither is it mentioned anywhere at men are to acquire more education than women or vice versa.
As far as using the education to gain financial independence is concerned, even there Islam does not have as many restrictions as are portrayed by the media etc. The simple fact to understand is that Allah (SWT) has created men and women differently. And hence, Islam as a code of life, has attached different roles to each of the sexes according to the way they have been created and their nature. And who knows the creation better than the Creator Himself? Allah (SWT) has created men superior in strength to women and hence, they have been given the task of breadwinning, earning the livelihood and supporting their families.
Women have no responsibility whatsoever to earn and pay for their upkeep. Such a burden is laid on the shoulders of men. As a daughter, the responsibility for upkeep is on the father/brother, as a wife on the husband and as a mother, on the son. Women are totally relieved from the tension and burden of earning the livelihood. Instead, they are told to stay in their homes with comfort. Part of Ayah 34 of Surah An-Nisaa says:
“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other and because they support them from their means…”
But all of the above certainly does not mean that women cannot have a career of their own. It simply indicates that women have no responsibility as such. Hence, they can pursue a career of their own choosing according to their interest, without worrying about how much it is going to pay.
However, if a woman is married, with young children, then it is her foremost duty to attend to them. A career at the expense of nurturing the children can be damaging to the extreme. It is the mother who provides emotional security for children during their formative years and it is she who is the source for their primary socialization, the one who has the duty to inculcate the right values in them. If she is going to go out for higher studies and work, she is simply going to take on a dual burden and the family is going to suffer as a result. Not only will she be alienated from her children, but also studies such as that of social psychologist John Bowlby have shown a high rate of juvenile delinquency amongst children who are deprived of motherly love when they are growing up.
But if a woman has no responsibilities as such, there is no bar on her to go out and quench her thirst for knowledge and the desire for using the skills she has learned. Although there aren’t any specific domains that are categorized for men, and another for women, there are certain professions that a woman in some countries cannot pursue as a career. In Pakistan, women were not allowed in the air force or navy. The latter ban still remains, though women have struggled and gained their rightful positions in the air force colleges. They still cannot take part in front line combat. Teaching and nursing still seem to be dominated by women.
Another Islamic aspect to this issue is that women can pursue careers but they must go out in full hijab.
“And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands their fathers their husbands fathers their sons their husbands sons their brothers or their brothers sons or their sisters sons or their women or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah that ye may attain Bliss” Surah An-Nur Ayah 31
“O prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient that they should be known (as such) and not molested: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.” Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah 59.
In full hijab, they are not only protected but they also have the freedom to pursue their interests without having to worry about the environment.
The Aspect of Co-Education
The aspirations of acquiring higher education in pursuit of a suitable career have forced many women to study in co-educational institutions. Though such institutes are the norm in Western societies, here in Pakistan people lament the economic infeasibility of building separate institutes for women, since a very low percentage is genuinely interested in pursuing a career. Co-education has its own set of harms, which has been amply projected by the feminist sociologists.
- Allison Kelly (“Science for Girls”) studied why fewer girls tended to take science subjects. She discovered that the reason was the domination of boys in the science class through insisting that they do the experiments, shouting out answers to the teachers and generally taking control.
- Michelle Stanworth (“Gender and Schooling”) claimed that in secondary schools teachers spend a disproportionately large time in dealing with boys, to the exclusion of girls, who as a result tended to suffer from low self esteem, underrating their own abilities.
- Dale Spender (“Invisible Women”) supported this invisibility of women in the classroom by establishing that teachers gave more time to male pupils.
In view of all these disadvantages the feminist sociologists have been actively competing for single sex educational institutions, but sadly here in Pakistan, there are more advocates of this system rather than opposers. With almost every institution coeducational, people have the right to be cynical as to the consequences regarding the value of morality in the younger generation.
Workplace Intricacies
Many studies, articles and reviews have shown that workplaces are reluctant to employ women in the key posts. The study of sociologists has confirmed this. Employers who are mainly men, generally have the impression that women especially those who are married can go anytime on maternity leaves etc. and then they would be thrown into a disarray. Hence, there is an inbuilt bias towards women right from stage 1. This has been confirmed by the human capital theory. This theory argues that women’s disadvantages in the labour market stem from their lack of commitment to paid employment, which is indicated by their willingness with which they interrupt their careers; and their disincentive to undertake on the job training programs. Thus, they are of less value to their employers than their better-trained male counterparts. Also, since they tend not to remain in continuous employment, they do not acquire the experience necessary for promotion to well paid jobs.
Even when women do get employed, they frequently have to face harassment either from their colleagues or their superiors. Radical feminists believe that inequalities in the workplace stem from the exploitation of women by men and the exercising of power to dominate them and exclude them senior positions. One way of doing this is sexual harassment and firing women if they complain. According to sociologist Stanko, men resent a working environment where they cannot dominate. Another sociology, Rosemary Pringle takes the argument further in asserting that occupations such as that of personal secretary are viewed in terms of the ideas of femininity rather than skill. Even in countries that proclaim to be the most ‘liberal’ ‘broad-minded’ and ‘modern’ this is the norm of the day. This factor sometimes does tend to deter women from furthering their careers; and some even give it up altogether.
The Trend
In spite of low pay, job segregation and harassment, women are taking jobs and gaining a financial stronghold. This is becoming more and more of a trend, with the phrase “working mothers” and “latch and key children” becoming more and more common. The women of today are eager to pursue all kinds of careers. Their ambition is mainly to work alongside men with the same rights and the same kind of equality. However, there is a set of women who choose not to pursue higher education and settle for more conventional aims. There is yet another set, which pursues higher education in the belief that if God forbid a bad time comes for the family, they would be able to get a job and support them.
Conclusion
Career and professionalism are trends which will probably see more ambitious women with much higher standards for themselves. However, there is a need to educate women about their more basic roles in order that they understand that career and professionalism should not be at the expense of anyone, least of all their families.
Last update : 06-08-2003 09:36
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