Women Empower Wednesday: Fatima Bhutto

Politics in Pakistan is a Game of Thrones in real life. The constant battle of who gets who and how much they get is something we all have been witnessing since the birth of Pakistan. We have seen the history of the Bhutto family’s political dynamics and believe that almost everyone from their family is somehow related to politics. Still, Benazir Bhutto is one of the bravest and resilient female politicians the world has ever seen. We have another gem from the Bhutto family who never stepped into politics and chose to write and was also a critic of Benazir Bhutto. That woman is Fatima Bhutto.

Fatima Bhutto

Born on the 29^th May 1982, Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani writer and columnist. Born in Kabul, she is the daughter of politician Murtaza Bhutto, niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and granddaughter of former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She was raised in Syria and Karachi, and received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, followed by a Master’s degree from the SOAS, University of London.

Fatima Bhutto Critic of Benazir Bhutto

Bhutto is a critic of her aunt Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari, whom she accused of being involved in her father’s murder. She wrote a non-fiction book, Songs Of Blood And Sword (2010), which is about her family. Bhutto’s family memoir Songs of Blood and Sword was published in 2010. In the book, Bhutto accuses her aunt Benazir and her husband Asif Zardari of killing her father Murtaza. The book got mixed to negative reviews from critics for being biased on the history of her family. Several family members have accused her of falsifying information.

Fatima Bhutto has written for The News and The Guardian among other publications.

 

 

 

 

 

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Politics and dream of being a writer!

Not surprisingly, Fatima had no desire to enter the political world. Following the death of her auntie, Benazir Bhutto, there was theory over her entry into politics. In an interview, she expressed that until further notice she likes to stay dynamic through her activism and writing, as opposed to through chosen elected office and that she needs to “rule a political career out entirely because of the effect of dynasties on Pakistan,” alluding to the Bhutto family administration and its connections to Pakistani legislative issues. In spite of the fact that Bhutto is politically dynamic, she isn’t associated with any political group.

Moreover, She says that she always wanted to be a writer. She was very lucky to have a father who was a feminist and as a child, she was always told she could do anything. Bhutto loved to write. On one occasion she said, “I’m doing my dream job! There’s no way I’d surrender it.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Read More: Women Empower Wednesday: Woman of steel Fatima Jinnah

Women empowerment and Bhutto

Fatima Bhutto is vocal about women’s rights and Islam. She talks enthusiastically about equal rights and women’s rights on every ground. On one occasion she said, “The Islam I know gives women a lot of rights.” Bhutto also believes that women in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh lag behind inequality not because of culture, but because of politics.

The lack of political will is the main reason behind women not coming forward. And strong women like Fatima Bhutto are changing this narrative every day!