Pattan's arts and culture desk, Pattan Lok Natak, engages women and men of all backgrounds without any discrimination on social, economic and political issues through the media of street theatre/skit performance, story telling, poetry recitation, puppetry, folk music and dance etc. Such performances encompass a wide range of topics, such as violence against women and women's rights, HIV/AIDS, exploitation of the poor and women, extremism, governance/democracy and election issues, in collaboration with other awareness projects undertaken by Pattan and other civil society organizations. These traditional forms of artistic creativity helps Pattan tap into the sub-continent's rich cultural history and connects with people on a universal level, promoting ideas of change and resistance to injustices, discrimination, and violations of human rights. This has the combined positive effects of promoting both the value of local culture and the importance of social awareness.

Pattan Lok Natak has organised many theatre festivals and hundreds of impromptu street performances all across the country, in rural and urban areas, capturing the imagination and spirit of thousands of people. It has taken its message abroad as well, participating in the World Social Forum events. Street theatre is incorporated into many of the events and
activities. In all local government and general elections held between 2000 and 2008, 007, Pattan Lok Natak mobilized and motivated young voters and women all over Pakistan. In 2007, it launched an ambitious theatre-training programme with women councilors. The trained women will organize theatre performances at community level with womenfolk in order to enhance their awareness on their issues.

Women have formed one of the most socially, economically and politically marginalized segments in the Pakistani society. Being the most pertinent organizing principles in the patriarchal society, gender roles are defined as such that women survive at the lowest rung of tribal, feudal, and capitalist social settings, with slight variations in rural-urban context.

Systemic subordination to men predetermined by patriarchal values has characterized the status of women who continue to live in private-public dichotomy, which restricts their economic and political mobility. Such deeply embedded structural social conditions have resulted in lowest social indicators for Pakistani women in terms of their education, health, and economic and political profiles.Being unorganized, confined to their homes, subordinated by males and politically dis-empowered, the state has traditionally found women a politically unattractive group to invest in. However, the decade of 1990 saw a global impetus, spearheaded by the United Nations System and human rights organizations, for affirmative actions worldwide to eradicate gender discrimination and disparities in all spheres of life. The government of Pakistan also came under intense pressure from international organizations and a rather more strengthened women’s rights movement at home, to take tangible steps to improve the situation of women.

It was only in August 2000 that the Military Government of Pakistan announced its landmark Devolution of Power Plan under which 33 percent quota for women was introduced in local councils and 17 % quota for women in the legislative assemblies. Subsequently, in 2005, the military government reduced the number of total seats of women in union councils. It reduced their seats from 36,000 to 24,000 at the lowest tier of the local government system. This was a serious policy reversal on gender. Yet, women quota changed the perspective of the population about the role of women in society and politics. Now, she is being accepted as a leader and a decision maker. This was indeed a revolutionary change. But transforming women quota into women empowerment and good governance remains a great challenge.

Copyright - 2008 Pattan Development Organization

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