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The writer is an educationist based in Larkana. She can be reached at sairasamo88@gmail.com
Women and men are equal in responsibilities. They may be distinct in their roles, but the purpose is the same: to live a meaningful life. They play their roles to the best of their abilities. A man is charged with outside-the-home engagements, where he earns and fulfils household necessities, while a woman is engaged in household work. She is tasked with making the home a place of comfort and relief for both man and woman. A woman possesses the same mental capacity as a man; the difference lies only in vitality. A man is known for his physical strength, and a woman for her fragility.
This idea of partnership is seen as how men and women are treated in society — how each one is perceived, accepted, and burdened with expectations.
A woman is fragile not only in physical appearance but emotionally as well. Shakespeare famously wrote in Hamlet, “Frailty, thy name is woman.” This line that has fueled centuries of literary debate. Fragility should not be confused with weakness. A woman carries multiple roles within a family — as a daughter, wife, mother and caregiver. She binds relationships, holds families together and often sacrifices personal ambitions for their well-being.
How true is the South Asian saying: “A son is a son until he marries; a daughter is a daughter for life.” The reality is that daughters often remain emotionally devoted to their parents even after marriage, despite leaving their childhood homes.
Men, on the other hand, are generally accepted as protectors and providers. They are expected to bear hardship, earn a livelihood and defend family and homeland. In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer, writing during the Renaissance period in the 14th century, presents the Knight as an ideal man — brave, honourable and devoted to duty. Throughout history, his role has been seen at borders, fighting wars and risking their lives for honour, safety, and the nation.
Marriage, ideally, is where these roles merge into a partnership. A man vows to protect and honour his wife; a woman commits to standing beside him as a life companion. She often leaves her parental home to build a new one, carrying emotional weight that is rarely acknowledged. Her sacrifice is no less than that of a man; it is simply different in form.
Philosophers, historians and poets have written extensively about both genders. Women are praised for beauty, modesty, patience and love; men for strength, courage, loyalty and sacrifice. Both men and women possess all these qualities in varying degrees. Eleanor Roosevelt said: “A woman is like a tea bag — you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”
Despite this ideal of balance, reality is often harsher. There is no denying that women undergo challenges in society. Marriage, for many, becomes a point of vulnerability. A woman may be told that her true family is now her husband’s, only to find herself marginalised if she fails to meet expectations. In such cases, she may feel she belongs neither to her parents nor to her in-laws – caught in a painful space of emotional displacement.
This is not a failure of womanhood; it is a failure of social conscience.
Islamic teachings emphasise equality in moral worth. The Quran states that humanity was created from a single soul (nafs-e-wahida). Religious books explain that Eve was created from Adam to be his partner. This teaches that a woman is not a possession, nor a man a tyrant; both are partners entrusted with equal rights.
This defines that a woman is a partner to a man, not a competitor.
Society should not dwell on competition between genders but on cooperation. Strength without compassion is tyranny; compassion without strength is vulnerability. Together, they form balance in life.
The conclusion rests with the reader: whether we frame life as a contest of dominance or accept it as a shared responsibility to live with harmony, care and love.
