By Iffat Farooq
The hardest marginalization and social exclusion is lived by Nesha Rao, a transgender woman, who earned her law degree by begging for ten years on the streets of metropolitan of Karachi. Now she is working as an activist of transgender rights. As a practicing lawyer, she has dealt with more than fifty cases of her community in courts. The phenomenon of marginalization existed and dated back from ancient civilizations. People in different continents have been treated with an inferior behavior on the basis of caste, gender, religion and regional divides. Marginalization has over-ridden the differences of race, class, gender and geography. Societies fostered cast system in ancient Egypt and India, African American discrimination, genocide of Jews and immigrant marginalization over different periods. Social injustice, exclusion and inequality remained prevalent over the times and regions. Those who are targeted are often treated like they are of lesser value. Many social and political reformist movements have emerged for the social and political inclusion of the marginalized sections and spearheaded by great reformists like Martin Luther Jr., Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Mother Teressa and Edhi for these marginalized sections. Fredrick Angels described it as “All history’s been a history of class struggles between dominated classes at various stages of social development.”
Marginalization is the process of making a group or class of people less important or relegated to a secondary position. When one class of people is grouped together as second-class citizens on any pretext and feel ignored in the society, are included as marginalized groups. Many people are pushed to the edges of deprivation, the opportunity lost results into social, economic, political and individual exclusion. Social strata deprivation is the single most visible and hardly entrenched marginalization. Social exclusion is the direct product of deprivation and works as the crucial factor for social disadvantage. Individuals who are pushed aside – marginalized or socially excluded – are in a position with limited protection and are at the highest risk of poor health, limited access to education and livelihood opportunities. Hence, marginalization may result in poor self‐esteem, lack of self‐efficacy, stigmatization, and homelessness.
Poverty and economic dislocation are primary factors for the social strata marginalization. Social movements over the years have emanated in the dominant group or by certain interest groups. These groups actually called as “blaming the victim’ or ‘culture of victim.” There are strong links between crime and marginalization in urban culture. The excluded population often indulge in illegal means of fulfilling their goals and motives in life and they are left with no other option but to resort to malpractices.
Women marginalization and gender inequality underpins many problems which disproportionately affect women and girls in forms of domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education and health facilities. Violence against women including rape, honor killing, acid attacks and forced marriages remain a serious issue over the years. Women in Pakistan face discrimination not only as a result of the patriarchal social fabric but also due to political and economic exclusion. The Global Gender Gap Index report 2020 ranked Pakistan 151 out of 153 countries. A survey carried out by Thomson Reuters ranked Pakistan as sixth most dangerous country for women. According to late Asma Jahangir Co-founder of “Women’s Action Forum” up to seventy-two percent of women are physically or sexually abused when in custody.
Pakistan has checkered history of legislation for women’s rights. These legislations include the most controversial and debated Hudood Ordinance. Later on, Women Protection Bill 2006, Anti Rape Bill 2016 and Zainab Alert Bill 2019 were also promulgated. Government of Punjab introduced Punjab Women Protection Authority Act, 2017; wherein many special courts are established for protection of women rights across Punjab. But gains of legal reform enacted are still fragile. Despite numerous efforts on the legislative and criminal side, women’s marginalization is still on the rise. Successive legislative initiatives from Hudood Ordinance 1979 to Zainab Alert Bill 2019 have very incremental benefits for the victims. Politically sanctioned gang rape of Muktaran Bibi in Multan and an incident of gang rape of a stranded women on Lahore Sialkot Motorway shows a numeric and grave tale of insecurity for the women in Pakistan. This hardcore marginalization for the women folk is entrenched in the social fabric of the subcontinent.
Religious and ethnic marginalization is on rise and the mistreatment of already neglected people such as transgender is also an increasing trend. A study by the Pew Research Centre on international religious freedom found 61% countries have social hostilities that tend to target religious minorities. Pakistan ranks amongst the top five in social hostility index including Bangladesh, Iraq, Sri Lanka and India. Pakistan is religiously, ethnically and linguistically diverse country but unfortunately the land is full of discrimination and prosecution with anti-minority incidents. Boharis, Hazaras or Ahmadias irrespective of their social and economic class, have been victimized for ethnic discrimination in differed time and places in Pakistan. The case of Asia Bibi and her acquittal in 2018, murder of the then Governor Punjab and the violent protest by hardliners is a tale of State failure to curb cultural apathy of the society. Hindus girls being forcibly converted to Islam in interior Sindh. Educated political leaders are also demanding like removal of the Vice Chancellor of the Shia identity in one province. The Provincial State Minister claimed Vice Chancellor “the curse to one religious segment.” And in another sad incident, a cricket match by Sunni Waqas quarrel turned into a blasphemous violation with another Muslim friend.
Pakistan’s transgender mocked by most and abhorred by many. Strict binaries of male and female genders exist evidently in society. Transgender also face social stigmatization, exclusion and banishments. The discriminatory behavior in society leads towards distancing environment. A Sindhi Teacher narrates her tale that she is an educated transwoman. She is an advocate of transgender rights in Sindh with two degrees in Economics and Political Science and still struggles to find work. She added that “her birth was the single biggest regret being the transgender in Pakistan.” She further recalled, “When I moved to Karachi after completing my education, I quickly found out that my hopes were misplaced. Not being able to find a job, I had to resort to dancing and begging. The government has failed me and my community. The echoes of rights of transgender community is neither heard from nor allowed to speak.”
Dr. Mou Molten, A PhD scholar from Birmingham University recently wrote a book “The mutual admiration of Society” wherein she stressed the inclusive culture by respecting diversity, equity and equality. She in her other book on marginalized communities, narrated that how the Irish people were excluded from British culture in 1920 to 1930. How the binaries of Irish and British culture and their boundaries emerged and vanished and founded their own communities. In the particular time the Irish students were barred from certain degree programs in universities and they resorted to diploma courses. The reduced chance of opportunity for certain groups emerged as the exclusion clause for social integration, political inclusion and identity validation.
On a more widespread spectrum, the prevalent issue of racism continues to hinder daily activities that people of color conduct in places that have a euro-centric, white-supremist mindset. And the criminals that are usually prejudiced against these people are the lawmakers and law enforcement agencies themselves. Whether it is a George Floyd who was suffocated to death by a police officer, over a twenty-dollar bill, an innocent medical worker, Breonna Taylor who was shot in her sleep by the police, or a Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old who was fatally shot after cops were called on him, for playing with a toy gun, it is apparent that racist people continue to marginalize and oppress people of color just because of the way they look.
The concept of state is evolved towards an idea of a welfare state and social justice. Social justice and social rights have become a crosscutting theme for nations. No sustainable prosperity or security can be attained at the expense of deprivation. There are some inalienable rights which can be invoked and implemented by struggle and protest. Confronting the marginalization through protest, struggle or fight and upcoming over the situation is becoming foremost important for social justice. It is crucial for social equilibrium, that inequality discrimination and distinction behavior of culture to be replaced through concerted efforts of inclusion and mainstreaming of marginalized groups. Social inclusion should have a voice in social, economic and political fabric of the community and this voice to be heard all around. If exclusion is the cause of marginalization, then its cure is cohesive inclusion by improving the ability of people, opportunity access and dignity culture for the disadvantaged segments. In words of Martin Luther King a social activist and civil rights leader, “Darkness can’t drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
(The writer is a public policy practitioner and she has a keen interest in global sociopolitical arena)