Islam and Equality
Islam and Equality: Pakistan ranked last among 148 countries in the 2025 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index. The country also scored very low in women’s political representation. The Constitution reserves seats for women in Parliament and the provincial assemblies. Political parties fill these seats through party lists instead of direct elections. This system does not represent all women fairly.
Unequal Representation
The current quota system mostly benefits women from powerful political families and large cities. Political parties often select women because of their family background instead of their abilities. Many women from poor, rural, and disabled communities remain without representation. Election data shows that many women in the Punjab Assembly came from Lahore. Women from less developed districts received very few seats.
Islamic Justice
Islam teaches people to protect the weak and prevent harm. One of the main goals of Islamic law is to promote public welfare. Therefore, the state should support women who face greater difficulties. It should not treat all women as if they have the same needs and opportunities.
Equality and Justice
Islam also distinguishes between equality and justice. Equality means treating everyone in the same way. Justice means giving people what they need according to their circumstances. The current quota system follows equality but ignores social differences. Some women already enjoy better education, wealth, family influence, and opportunities than others.
Intersectionality
Legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the idea of intersectionality. She argued that gender is only one part of a woman’s identity. Other factors, such as age, disability, race, ethnicity, income, and location, also shape her life. These factors create different experiences for different women. For example, a wealthy woman from Lahore may not understand the struggles of a poor woman from Rajanpur.
Islamic Evidence
The Holy Quran also recognises human diversity. This verse encourages respect for different identities. It does not support treating everyone in exactly the same way.
The story of Khawla bint Tha’labah also shows Islam’s commitment to justice. Her husband used the unfair pre-Islamic practice of zihar. This practice left her without proper rights. Khawla was also old and poor. She took her case to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Allah then revealed the opening verses of Surah Al-Mujadilah and declared zihar sinful. The Prophet (PBUH) also gave her dates to distribute as charity because her husband could not pay the required expiation. This example shows that Islam considers a person’s full situation before delivering justice.
Quota Reforms
Pakistan should reform its quota system for women. The government should reserve more seats for women from rural areas, poor families, and persons with disabilities. It should also limit the number of seats that go to women from major cities. These reforms would give a voice to neglected women. They would also make women’s political representation fairer and more inclusive.
Published in Dawn, 3rd July 2026
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