OPINION: Women’s Rights as Propounded by Fatima Jinnah

BY KISHWAR SULTANA

During the years (1937–1947) when Pakistan movement was at its peak,
Fatima Jinnah’s role was nothing less than a beacon of hope for the Muslim women.

Though the guidance of her elder brother Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, she
herself became a role model not only for the Muslims women of South Asia, but for
the women of whole Asian society.

Her role as a women leader was even more important when after the death of Quaid-i-Azam in 1948 she became the focal point for aspirations of Pakistani women. It was under very difficult circumstances that she worked for the promotion of women’s rights and privileges in Pakistan.

Life of Fatima Jinnah

Fatima Jinnah, younger sister of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was
born in 1831. Out of her seven brothers and sisters, she was the closest to the Quaid.

Jinnah became guardian upon the death of their father in1901. Due to her brother’s
keen interest, and despite strident family opposition, Fatima Jinnah received
excellent early education. She jointed the Bandra Convent in 1902.

In 1919, she got admitted to the highly competitive university of Calcutta where she attended Dr Ahmad Dental College. After she qualified, Jinnah went along with her idea of
opening a dental clinic in Bombay and helped her set it up in 1923.

Fatima Jinnah initially lived with her brother for about eight years till 1918,
when he got married to Rutenbai. Upon Rutenbai’s death in February 1929, Fatima
wound up her clinic, moved into Jinnah’s bungalow and took charge of his house.

Thus began the life-long companionship that lasted till Jinnah’s death on September
11, 1948.

So, Miss Fatima Jinnah lived with her brother for about 28 years, including
the last 19 tiring years of his life. The Quaid discussed various problems with her,
mostly at the breakfast and dinner table.

Fatima Jinnah not only lived with her brother but also accompanied him on
his numerous tours.

In 1932, she joined him in London when he remained there after
the Second Round Table Conference. Fatima Jinnah was taken as a member of the
Working Committee of the Bombay Provincial Muslim League and worked in that
capacity until 1947.

In March 1940, she attended the Lahore Session of the Muslim League.

Fatima Jinnah was convinced that the Hindus intended to subjugate and dominate the
Muslim completely. It was primarily due to her initiative that the All India Muslim
Women Students Federation was organised in February 1941 at Delhi.

During the transfer of power in 1947, she was an inspiration to Muslim women. She formed the Women’s Relief Committee, which, later proved to be the nucleus for the All Pakistan Women’s Association.

She also played a significant role in the settlement of refugees in the new state of Pakistan.
Despite her old age, she continued to help social and education institution.

During the Quaid’s illness, she remained passionately attached to him. After his
death, she often issued important statements on important occasions, as a reminder to
the nation of the ideals on which Pakistan had been established.

Status of Women

In every society, a woman plays the role of a mother, a sister, a wife and a
daughter. In the words of Fatima Jinnah, Motherhood is not an easy task. Mother
herself should do the work of her child.

In early age, children need love and attention of mother. Life is not only confined to outing and meeting with people.

Every work has its own stage. Mother has got whole life for outing. She should
concentrate on her children at early stages.

The basic training centre of a child is mother. Even is modern era, even if man and woman have equal rights, but the foremost duty of women mother can give a well-groomed child to the society.

During her meeting with Surriya Khurshid, Fatima explained, “I always emphasised
that we need good mothers. Good mothers are our national asset. Women do not care
about this fact. Modern women reject it, thinking it out-dated and conservative, and
uneducated women do not understand the need of the hour”

Fatima Jinnah was interested to make women of Pakistan to become
independent in financial matters, she desired an end to women’s economic
dependence on men. Rather both men and women were required by her to jointly share the responsibility of their family with complete understanding with each other.

These ideas are established in the addresses and teachings of Fatima Jinnah.

She believed on essential role of women in the society by which all
the walks of life become balanced. Without women’s contribution a society cannot be made to play a healthy and balanced role for the development of society.

In various platforms of her role as mother, or a sister, or a wife or a daughter women’s role in the society is pivotal. She wanted that this kind of women’s role should be given due regard by the society so that women can have a honourable place in the society.

She once expressed that “if a man is bad, he ruins only himself, but if a woman is bad, she
ruins whole family.”

Kishwar Sultana is Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research (NIHCR), Islamabad