An interview with Sheema Kermani
This interview transcript was first published in the print edition of Manushi Journal. (Issue-12, Sep-Oct 1982)
The situation of women in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, is similar in many respects. For instance, statistics show that women in most countries of the world, including developing countries in Africa, South America and South-east Asia have a longer life expectancy than do men, except in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal. In these countries mortality rate of girls is much higher than that of boys in the 0-5 age group. This has led to a deficit of females in the total population. Women form only 47 per cent of the total population in Pakistan, that is, at present for evey 1,000 women there are 1,129 men in the population. As in India the majority of the people live in villages. 70 per cent of the people in Pakistan live in rural areas, and a very large proportion of them live below the poverty line…