CSS Current Affairs | Social Impacts of Balochistan Conflict
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Hamza Aslam under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2- A critical overview of the current situation in Balochistan
3- How women and children are affected by the ongoing conflicts and issues in Balochistan
- ✓Lack of access to education and health facilities
- Case in Point: According to The Diplomat, the literacy rate for women in Balochistan is as low as 18 percent, and 75 percent are out of school.
- ✓Lack of Economic Opportunities
- Case in Point: According to UNDP, only 8 percent of women in the province are in the paid labour force.
- ✓Increasing Political marginalization of women
- Case in Point: According to a UNDP report, women’s voter turnout in Balochistan is 37 percent, significantly lower than the male turnout of 48 percent.
- ✓Legacy of Patriarchal Society is strengthening
- Case in Point: Due to the government’s ineffective governance, people are governed by male Sardars and Tribes heads.
- ✓Women and Children are becoming Widow and orphans due to extrajudicial killing and forceful disappearance of their males
- Case in Point: In Feb 2023, a large number of Baluchistan’s women marched towards Islamabad to stop the forceful disappearance and extrajudicial killing of their males
4- Suggestions to bring social reforms in Baluchistan to end conflict
- ✓Adherence to democratic values by conducting a free and fair election
- ✓Equally distribution of resources
5-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area but with the lowest population, is indulged in various conflicts and issues due to its prominent geostrategic location. Some external and internal forces do not want peace and prosperity in the province, creating instability in the region. Few militant groups that have writ the state’s orders are fighting against the security forces. As a result of the battle, along with many losses, women and children have been seriously affected and become more vulnerable entities of the conflict. They are suffering from multiple challenges, including lack of access to education and health facilities, low economic opportunities, strengthening of patriarchal society, and forceful disappearance of their husbands, sons, and brothers. However, it is not a difficult task to improve the condition of the province. By conducting free and fair elections and equally managing resources, the country can subdue extremist groups and maintain peace in the province.
A critical overview of the current situation in Balochistan
Currently, security conditions in the province are volatile. Insurgent groups have been continuously targeting civilian and security personnel to achieve their goal. Various state and non-state actors have been sponsoring militant groups to destabilize the region. India’s involvement in spreading insurgencies is prominent from the arrest of Indian spy Kalboshan Jadhav. However, the increasing insurgencies and state combat operations have hindered the region’s development. All the state’s resources have been spent on maintaining the security situation, which has to be invested in the region’s development. As a result, civilians, especially women and children, have been living a life with limited resources and basic facilities. Therefore, the region has shown low social, economic, and political indicators due to poor security conditions and lack of development.
How women and children are affected by the ongoing conflicts and issues in Balochistan
- ✓Lack of access to education and health facilities
The ongoing conflicts and issues in the province have created multiple problems for the people, especially women and children, to attain education and access health facilities. Parents do not allow their children to attend school in an insecure environment. Besides that, numerous regional schools have closed due to volatile security conditions.According to The Diplomat, the literacy rate of women in Balochistan is as low as 18 percent, and 75 percent of young girls are out of school. The stats depict that the education system in the region has failed to deliver education to children and girls. Moreover, people in the region have no access to basic health facilities. Even women are unable to get proper maternity facilities. Because of that, the region’s mortality rate is highest compared to other provinces. However, due to ongoing conflicts, women and children are unable to get their fundamental right to education and health.
- ✓Lack of Economic Opportunities
The women of the region participate less in economic activities due to the lack of economic development in the region. According to UNDP, only 8 percent of women in the province are currently part of the paid labour force. Due to poor security conditions, the country spends much money on maintaining security conditions instead of social and economic development. Besides, private investment in the province is also meagre because of poor security conditions. Thus, the lack of economic development has made economic opportunities out of the reach of women.
- ✓Increasing Political marginalization of women
Women in Balochistan have been highly marginalized from the political sphere due to ongoing issues in the region. They have been significantly less involved in the political activities and decision-making processes. According to the UNDP report, women’s voter turnout in Balochistan is 37 per cent, considerably lower than that of males, 48 per cent. The ongoing conflicts and issues have fueled their deprivation of political rights. The lack of access to education, economic dependence, and cultural stigmatization have enabled women to take part in the political affairs of the country. Majorly, the lack of accessibility to education for women has left them unaware of the country’s political structure and their political rights. So, the lack of knowledge about political structure and rights hampers women’s involvement in political affairs. Thus, the exacerbated issues and conflicts in the region have marginalized women’s participation in the political arena.
- ✓Legacy of Patriarchal Society is strengthening
The legacy of a patriarchal society is strengthening in the province due to militarization and the deprivation of women’s rights. Poor security conditions, lack of the rule of law, and ineffective governance systems have made the situation favourable for a patriarchal society. Because of poor governance, tribe culture is prominent, and the Sardar of the tribe governs the people of the tribe. People depend on Sardar for their necessities, and Sardar even holds the authority to make decisions about people’s lives. As the male has significant power to make decisions, women remain confined to their homes and play inactive societal roles. Therefore, male dominance in society is increasing due to regional instability.
- ✓Women and Children are becoming Widow and orphans due to extrajudicial killing and forceful disappearance of their males
The state has started various military operations against the militant groups to maintain peace in the region. Due to this, many members of militant groups and their facilitators have been killed and detained by the security forces. As a result, thousands of women have become widows, and children have become orphans. The families of these detained and killed persons alleged the state for their killing in the fake operations and forceful detention without following any law. In Feb 2023, a large number of Baluchistan’s women marched towards Islamabad to stop the forceful disappearance and extrajudicial killing of their males. They came to the capital to request the governments to stop forceful disappearance and killing all over the province, but the state denied its involvement in any such unlawful activity. Therefore, ongoing insurgencies have been increasing the problems of women and children by killing and disappearing their husbands, brothers, sons and fathers.
Suggestions to bring social reforms in Baluchistan to end conflict
The government may take pragmatic steps to develop an environment that helps children and women get their constitutional rights. First, the conduct of free and fair elections would increase local people’s representation and help address the problems of women and children. Moreover, the state may focus on equal distribution of resources to help develop Balochistan province. Socio-economic development may help women get economic opportunities and allow them to live with freedom. Therefore, free and fair elections and equal distribution of resources among the provinces may help decrease the problems women and children face in conflict areas.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, women and children in Balochistan have been enduring various hardships and deprivations. Due to ongoing conflicts and issues, they are facing multiple problems, including lack of accessibility to education, lack of economic opportunities, political marginalization, strengthening of patriarchal society, and extra-judicial killing of their males. Moreover, poor security conditions due to these conflicts have confined the women and children to their homes. As a result, women cannot participate in social, political, and economic activities. However, the government should take measures to address the problem of women and children living in the conflicted areas. Therefore, conducting free and fair elections and distributing equal resources among the provinces would help improve the lives of children and women in the region.
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