International Peace Day 2024: The Quest for Women Peace and Security in Pakistan

As we approach International Peace Day on September 21st, 2024, I reflect on what peace truly means for women living in Pakistan—a country where political instability is rampant, and peace is compromised every day. In the streets, homes, and lives of countless women, the echoes of injustice, oppression, and violence are ever-present. I see peace compromised when people are hijacked from their everyday lives, forcefully disappeared without explanation. I see it shattered when non-uniformed men invade homes in the dead of night, picking up women political leaders, silencing their voices and the voices of others who dare to speak out on social media by imposing firewalls and internet shutdowns.

I witness peace slipping away in the internal conflict tearing through the northern areas of Pakistan, leaving women vulnerable and helpless, especially in regions like Baluchistan, where women have taken to the streets, protesting for the recovery of their brothers, fathers, and husbands—victims of enforced disappearances. Their cries go unanswered, their peace forever stolen.

For women, peace is not just about the absence of war or violence. It is about security, justice, and the freedom to live their lives with dignity. I see peace compromised during natural disasters and climate emergencies when women, the most vulnerable members of society, are systematically excluded from Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policies. Women’s voices are rarely heard in these discussions, and they are often the last to receive aid, protection, and resources. Where is peace when the concerns of women are brushed aside in favor of male-dominated leadership?

Peace is compromised in the corridors of power, where ministries remain the domain of men, and women’s perspectives in parliament are disrespected or dismissed. Laws that are created with men in mind further marginalize women, treating them as second-class citizens. Women’s peace is undermined by a legal system that often fails to provide them with justice, safety, or protection from violence.

When women are not free to walk down the street without fear, when they are not free to speak their minds or dress as they choose—how can we claim that there is peace? Peace is a distant dream for women who face constant discrimination, shackled by cultural gender roles and inequalities that permeate their professional and personal lives.

Women’s peace and security encompass so much more than just physical safety. It includes the right to access education, healthcare, and justice. It includes financial freedom and the right to make decisions about one’s own life. Women’s peace is compromised when these fundamental human rights are denied or diminished.

In the face of this overwhelming reality, what does women’s peace and security truly mean? It means creating a society where women are not only protected but empowered to contribute to decision-making processes. It means ensuring that their voices are heard in policymaking, that they are not sidelined or silenced in a male-dominated world.

I envision a peaceful and just society where no one is left behind—a world where women are free to live their lives without fear, where their thoughts, opinions, and contributions are valued equally. I want to see a world where women take an active role in peace processes, where they are leaders in creating a future that is safe, just, and inclusive.

As we mark International Peace Day, let us recognize that true peace can only be achieved when women are free—free from violence, free from discrimination, and free to make decision, free to hold power, free to shape the future of our society. Only then can we hope to build a world that is truly peaceful for everyone.