Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto would have turned 71 years old on June 21, 2024. We wish her a happy birthday as she remains alive in our hearts, memories, and thoughts. We women owe a lot to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who became the first elected woman leader in a male-dominated, patriarchal society of a Muslim country, breaking gender barriers and setting a precedent for women’s political participation in Pakistan and beyond.
She served two terms as Prime Minister of Pakistan, from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. At 35, she became one of the youngest prime ministers in the world and was elected barely three months after giving birth to her first child, Bilawal.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was acutely aware of the challenges of being a woman in politics, a completely male-dominated sphere. She rightly said, “It is not easy being a woman anywhere. Moreover, for women leaders, the obstacles are greater, the demands are greater, the barriers are greater, and the double standards are greater.”
“As a woman leader, I thought I brought a different kind of leadership. I was interested in women’s issues, in bringing down the population growth rate … as a woman I entered politics with an additional dimension, that of a mother.”
It was a proud moment for Pakistan when young Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto addressed the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. She stated, “As the first woman ever elected to head an Islamic nation, I feel a special responsibility towards all women.”
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto became a symbol of hope, courage, and inspiration for women in Pakistan and across the globe. After she became Prime Minister in 1988, she prioritized women’s empowerment, opening a new chapter in the history of Pakistan.
She introduced several reforms to improve women’s legal rights and protections, such as the establishment of separate family courts to handle matters related to women, including divorce, custody, and inheritance. She also advocated for legislation to address domestic violence.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto prioritized the establishment of maternity and child health centers across Pakistan, particularly in rural areas where healthcare facilities were limited. These centers aimed to provide essential maternal and child healthcare services, including prenatal care, safe deliveries, postnatal care, immunizations, and nutrition support. She emphasized the importance of family planning and reproductive health services, recognizing that family planning played a crucial role in empowering women, reducing maternal mortality, and improving overall health outcomes.
She established the First Women Bank to cater to the financial needs of women, promoting economic empowerment and financial inclusion. The bank provided banking services tailored to women’s needs, such as microcredit, small business loans, and financial products for women entrepreneurs. It also offered financial literacy programs, skill development, and entrepreneurship training.
During her first tenure as prime minister, which lasted for 18 months, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto reserved a five percent quota for women in public sector jobs to ensure employment opportunities were made available to women, marking the beginning of a larger goal towards women’s empowerment. She established women’s studies centers at five universities in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, and Peshawar.
In 1993, Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto inaugurated the first women’s police station to address the specific needs and concerns of women, providing a safe and supportive environment for them to report crimes and seek justice. These police stations, staffed by female officers, encouraged women to come forward and report cases of crime.
The Lady Health Workers Program (LHW), introduced in 1994 by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, was a significant intervention in public health initiatives in Pakistan. It aimed to improve maternal and child health and provide primary healthcare services at the community level, especially in rural areas.
For the first time ever, a ministry for women’s affairs was established under her leadership, addressing issues related to women’s rights, social welfare, and gender equality. Working Women Hostel was established in Islamabad to provide safe and affordable accommodation for working women seeking employment opportunities in the capital.
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto recognized the modern and global needs of information technology, establishing computer centers and various vocational training centers for women.
She worked on land reforms by granting ownership of agricultural land to landless women farmers, empowering them economically and socially. Under her leadership, women were appointed in the superior judiciary and other public institutions, marking a major milestone towards women’s empowerment. This has led to the increased presence of women in public and private institutions, included in policy and decision-making levels.
Despite threats to her life, she decided to return to her people to save her country from terrorism, uphold democracy, and preserve the Constitution. We, the women of Pakistan, pay tribute to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on her birthday, remembering her numerous contributions and the enduring legacy she left behind.
