New Delhi: Women political leaders are always under more scrutiny than their male counterparts. And in Pakistan, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the country’s first female chief minister of Punjab, can’t seem to step out without causing a stir. Days after her act of adjusting a police officer’s headscarf became a polarising issue, she’s now being mocked for her inability to differentiate between grammar and geography.
During a visit to Government Pilot Secondary Girls School in Punjab on Wednesday morning, she asked the girls what they were studying. One replied, “Conjunction”. Another clarified saying ‘English grammar’. But it was Pakistan’s Punjab CM’s response that had everyone bemused.
A clip of the visit shows Maryam flipping through the books of one of the students. She sees the cover and asks, “Geography?”
Her detractors were quick to call her out on social media. “Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif just discovered a new continent in the world of grammar, where conjunctions are apparently landmarks in geography! Next up: finding prepositions in outer space?” wrote foreign policy commentator Baqir Sajjad on X (formerly Twitter).
Others called her an ‘idiot’ and ‘Dramatic queen Nani 8 class failure’.
Also read: Maryam Nawaz fixes policewoman’s headscarf. Now Pakistanis are calling her the moral police
A growing phenomenon
Nawaz’s selection as chief minister of a politically crucial province in Pakistan has been hailed as a milestone. Since she took charge on 26 February, she has announced the setting up of Lahore’s first public cancer hospital, unveiled a development plan for Pakistan Punjab with focus on the IT sector and healthcare, and promised to build 3,000 houses for people belonging to low-income groups.
But these are not up for debate. When she adjusted the headscarf of a police officer, she was accused of invading a person’s personal space and propagating patriarchal norms. On the day she took oath, she was criticised for apparently asking a party member not to touch her. The woman was trying to hug Sharif to congratulate her on becoming chief minister. A few years ago, she was subject to much speculation for sitting next to Bilawal Bhutto with many comparing them to a newly wedded couple.
The scrutiny and criticism is not a new phenomenon, though the intensity is magnified with social media. Marvi Menon, former member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, was targeted for her marriage with Ishaq Dar, which finally forced her to post a message on X.
Enough is enough. If I am trolled anymore there wil b a problem for some people. pic.twitter.com/BUjDNFN2xl
— Marvi Memon (@marvi_memon) April 26, 2019
In the United States, it’s become dangerous for women political leaders. They are three times more likely than their male colleagues to be targeted, according to a new national database. The report, created by Princeton University and the Anti-Defamation League, found that women holding posts as public officials were “targeted at a higher frequency than others, totaling 42.5% of incidents” according to a Forbes report.
(Edited by Prashant)