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Some men on Twitter have a problem with Pakistani women becoming surgeons and we're rolling our eyes

Some men on Twitter have a problem with Pakistani women becoming surgeons and we're rolling our eyes

Rather unbelievably, when Dr Javed Iqbal tweeted about training seven female surgeons, he was told he was 'corrupting' women.
Updated 10 Jul, 2021

Apparently, saying women can be surgeons in Pakistan can land you in trouble on Twitter. It happened to surgeon Dr Javed Iqbal recently, after his tweet about training female surgeons was widely shared on social media.

Iqbal had posted a picture of his students with the caption, "Who says surgery is not for girls. All seven of them are. I am humbled that I could train them in my unit."

While his efforts were widely lauded, a surprising amount of people hurled criticism at the doctor as well. His Twitter replies were flooded with people who felt very strongly (and strangely) that women shouldn't become surgeons.

"Don't mislead them," a user commented. "Don't destroy their life as good wife [and] as a good mother. Why overburden them. They should select some relax[ing] and more rewarding emerging field in MBBS," said one user with a very strange outlook on women's choices of profession.

Someone tell this man that women can choose to be surgeons, wives and mothers all at the same time and that too quite impeccably.

Quite a few users came forth to remind everyone about the dire need of female doctors in Pakistan. One user talked about how several women are not comfortable being treated by male doctors due to religious and personal reasons. Many women would much rather go to female doctors instead.

"Several women I know delay treatment and avoid elective surgery for religious and personal reasons," the user wrote. "Recently, a lady had to undergo emergency surgery which could have been prevented."

Another user pointed out the need for female surgeons for the same reason. She also happens to be the proud mother of a female surgeon herself. Go mom!

One user commented about how this field is not for women because of their "physical capabilities".

We're not exactly sure what physical capabilities disqualify women from becoming qualified surgeons. If you are talking about intelligence, courage and dexterity, women possess all of that and then some.

There was this other user who completely missed the point of Iqbal's post and commented on the clothing choices of the women in the picture instead. "Wish you had taught them to observe purdah," he wrote.

Someone else quite aptly pointed out the user's own missing prayer cap on his head. "You too should have observed the Imama or topi as a Muslim man," he replied.

Women in Pakistan face various hurdles in the pursuit of practicing medicine, be it the phenomenon of doctor brides or inherent systemic biases that promote men more than women.

One user narrated her own experience to remind us of this. "I left my surgery house job as [my] fellow male house-officers kept demoralising me," she wrote. "I faced [a lot of] negativity from them."

We've learned some things from this Twitter post and its replies — some people just love to criticise for the sake of criticising and being a female doctor in Pakistan is even harder than we thought. Our respect and admiration for women who struggle on to become medical practitioners in the country has increased tenfold. They have to study so much, work long, gruelling hours and deal with people like this who think they know better. Keep fighting the good fight ladies, there is a strong community of people out here who support you, despite the haters.

And to the haters — sit down, no one asked for your opinion.

Comments

Chrís Dăn Jul 10, 2021 05:26pm
Generally men in Pakistan to the extent of 98% can be easilly termed as cavemen who by choice are not willing to join 21st century on this planet.
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Ibrahim S Jul 10, 2021 05:54pm
Sisters and daughters of Pakistan, please continue moving forward and never look back . You are right and you will win . These men are wrong , they will ultimately lose.
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Rahul Jul 10, 2021 06:06pm
Ignore the men. Go chase your dreams Pakistani women.
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tQ Jul 10, 2021 06:18pm
This doctor has done nothing exceptional other than Self Projection. Female Surgeons are nothing new in Pakistan.
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tQ Jul 10, 2021 06:19pm
Mr Javed must venture into Modeling.
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CS Jul 10, 2021 06:23pm
I cannot believe there are people still segregating professions by genders. Are we still living in Stone Age?
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Tauji M Jul 10, 2021 06:43pm
More power to Dr Javed Iqbal, may his tribe increase! This is what is needed at this hour. Retrogressive specimens like Mr Haider and so many others of his ilk are the products of the stunted mindset that has and has continued to rule this country since independence.
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D’Souza Jul 10, 2021 06:49pm
Pakistan is a deeply misogynistic society.
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F Nawaz Jul 10, 2021 07:02pm
In the world of twitter, there is only outrage.
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Abrar Jul 10, 2021 07:06pm
All the men and women should have right to do whatever they want, i just wish and pray these ladies do not stop practicing surgery or move abroad as most of the female doctors do.
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supermuzzie Jul 10, 2021 07:06pm
OTOH, India fully understands and espouses equality in its medical profession. Male and female doctors are at equal risk of lynching for failing to prevent Covid deaths.
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Pursuit Jul 10, 2021 07:26pm
According to Pakistanis a women is just a servant or a sex slave and a breeder! Shame on men
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Syed Abdullah Jul 10, 2021 07:27pm
It's a good initiative by Dr Iqbal. I am Anesthesia Specialist having experience about 20 years in this field. Sorry to say I have never seen a competent women general surgeon in Pakistan as well as abroad. Even gynaecologist are rarely competent until they prove otherwise. They may be competent if they should go under rigours training like male counterparts, moreover they should should indiscriminately deal the patient regardless of gender & do their rotational training honestly with real sense of learning not just passing rotation period.
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Doctor Jul 10, 2021 07:41pm
Many women dont get treatment in our country because of unavailability of female surgeons. There are many diseases like trauma surgery, breast, heamorrhoids which are left untreated because of lack of female surgeons. I've witnessed women die because there husbands refused to let me handle them
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John Jul 10, 2021 07:47pm
Pakistani women will liberate Pakistan and take the country forward into modern age
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Shaukat Imran Jul 10, 2021 08:16pm
What a lousy discussion - a complete waste of time. Everyone knows the importance of role of women in medical sciences and all the other fields as well so what overly react to utterances of someone who has a tunnel and myopic view of the world? Lets move on please
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Joe Jul 10, 2021 09:12pm
@Syed Abdullah They may be competent if they should go under rigours training like male counterparts" What are you trying ti imply ? Do women trainee Dr have a different syllabus,training, colleges or role to play before they ate granted degree .?
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oldhabibian Jul 10, 2021 09:20pm
When my daughter decided to become a dentist, none other than my father in law called & said she should do BA and marry. Today she is a dentist, and I am not on speaking terms with her grandfather. Now she wants to be a surgeon dentist and dentists are discouraging her! Saying it is a man's field. But I am sure she will do it. If my girl can do it, any girl can do it. She is the envy of her family.
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Tariq Jul 10, 2021 09:30pm
That is no news as we all are aware that two are always difference of opinions and that is this world is all about.
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Hassan Jul 10, 2021 09:58pm
It's hard to believe that we are having this conversation in the 21 century.
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SachBol Jul 10, 2021 10:05pm
Insecure men always try to belittle or degrade women accomplishments. That’s prevalent in third world and more in Muslim countries.
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Kaleidoscope Jul 10, 2021 10:27pm
Outrage over literally 3 tweets, my humble advice is this life is too short for these things.
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FAZ Jul 10, 2021 10:56pm
These men mean what they preach. They will have C sections of their wives by men too!
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k k tiwari Jul 10, 2021 11:12pm
Pakistani medicos girls are no less than other asians ,let them flowrish
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Irfan Huq Jul 11, 2021 12:33am
@Syed Abdullah Have you been living in a cave? There are many female surgeons practicing in different part of Pakistan. . There is a neurosurgeon in Karachi and many other places here please don't belittle them. I can tell you that there are many women who are better than you in many aspects.
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Irfan Huq Jul 11, 2021 12:35am
@Doctor Those husbands need brain surgery
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Mujahid Jul 11, 2021 01:02am
May be its something of doctors community cuz I never heard that women can't be surgeons. All Gynae Specs do abdominal surgery and there are many many general surgeon docs as well.
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Nasir Khan Jul 11, 2021 01:26am
Who are not happy are those who can't do anything in their lives. To become surgeon, to be men is not prerequisite.
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Jawaid Kamal Jul 11, 2021 03:46am
First of all my gratitude to doctor saheb, for training these ladies These are bright , beautiful, no nonsense faces. My heart goes out to to you girls Proud of what have achieved . If Pakistani men are half as good as you are,then Pakistan would be at a different place today.
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Ahsan Gul Jul 11, 2021 03:57am
Dr. Iqbal thanks for sharing your training of 7 female doctors comments. We as Muslims are so much far behind of our thinking processes that it sounds like another 50 years are required to educate our two new generations to shed off these archaic in grind mental ideas. Sincerely
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Zulfiqar Jul 11, 2021 04:32am
@Chrís Dăn that is a sweeping generalization. Did you imagine that figure of 98%? It’s probably closer to 97%
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Pakman Jul 11, 2021 04:57am
@Chrís Dăn the article says some men, vast majority have no issues with women pursuing careers aa they please. Men having problems with women becoming surgeons are indeed cavemen., under developed social skills and lack understanding.
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Joe Jul 11, 2021 05:11am
@John Pakistani women will liberate Pakistan and take the country forward into modern age" If only they can come out of the clutches of Mullas Farmans.
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Truth be told Jul 11, 2021 05:43am
@Chrís Dăn and generally the female surgeons all over the world have 98% of them who perform surgeries like butchers. The remaining 2% are good and reliable and could be the ones being approached for female specific needs.
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Venus Jul 11, 2021 06:13am
Some people mentality are in 6th century they don't want to move to present,Go head girls you are not chained even if it is chained, break it and move forward
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Khalida Jul 11, 2021 07:48am
@Pursuit not really. My father was from a small village from Sind. He made sure that all of his six daughters graduated from college. Three of them had post graduate degrees and that was fifty years ago.
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N. Rahim. Canada Jul 11, 2021 07:54am
Some shameless ignorant people. Women surgeons are very much needed. If not for anything else at least to take care of ladies reluctant to go to male surgeons.
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Sara Jul 11, 2021 08:15am
Pakistani men cannot handle smart intelligent women.
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Sara Jul 11, 2021 08:16am
More women should follow their dream and turn Pakistan a tolerant country.
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E.Ravi Kumar Jul 11, 2021 09:06am
Basically women can absorb more stress and more balanced than Men. That's why men put restricted women to home only, to hide their inefficiency.
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Kris Jul 11, 2021 09:07am
That picture broke a thousand stereotypes. On one side, PM IK is asking women to wear a veil to prevent assaults on them by by men who lack self-control. On the other hand, you have seven strong women entering a job which is not for the faint hearted. Kudos to Dr.Iqbal and the upcoming surgeons.
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Nazam Jul 11, 2021 09:11am
@Syed Abdullah Typical Pakistani attitude. In India we take pride in our surgeons , both women and men . They are among the best.
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Bilal Jul 11, 2021 10:16am
Men and woman are both built differently. Men for labour and woman for nuturing, childcare. There is nothing wrong in kitchen work, thats also work. But when woman step out of home in ego to beat men, children have no one at home. They turn spoilt and thats how crimes happen. A housewife always produce positive homes.
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Omar Jul 11, 2021 10:23am
Why not take hobbies like knitting, crafting and stay at home? That way woman can do housework, manage kids, cook and look after husband too. Medicine study costs a lot, seats are limited. Parents should not be double burdened with dowry marraige, than education too. It also deprives males a seat in medicine whose future family may depend on him. Dr is right.
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Hassan Jul 11, 2021 10:46am
Matric fail men are threatened by these highly educated ladies.....
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M. Saeed Jul 11, 2021 11:06am
Surgery needs delicate hands. I have seen many heart bypass patient who carry surgeons' stitching of the openings made with clumsy joining, that remain horrible marks on body.
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A. ALI Jul 11, 2021 11:34am
@Chrís Dăn ... in your land its 100% without blinking any eye. We don have even 10% men like that.
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Sidc Jul 11, 2021 01:02pm
So much religion in our life, even simple profession of medicine is now issue even among educated people.
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Kamran Ali Jul 11, 2021 01:22pm
The comments frome these exually repressed, sexually frustrated men who are afraid of empowered women is truly astounding in this day and age Go ladies, the world is your oyster
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Danish Saeed Jul 11, 2021 01:43pm
The problem is working woman think they are superior than men. Majority working woman marriages end in divorses. They neglect kids, neglect in-laws and husband, dont cook, dont wash, and show off. Housewife focuses on manners, religious values, family, kids, husband and keep all happy. Whats the point of being a muscle woman surgeon if one cant manage household.
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Qaisar Raza Jul 11, 2021 02:04pm
Women doctors rock! If we are not able to empower women in 21st century, we are going nowhere. I, as a Pakistani man completely support and respect Pakistani female surgeons.
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Waqar Jul 11, 2021 02:14pm
@Chrís Dăn mate it’s not like that, I don’t think you’ve been there and have met all kinds of men in all suburbs :) generally this is not the perception and at least 10 females I know in family and far relatives are surgeons and well supported by their husbands Go not paint everyone with the same brush
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Aly Jul 11, 2021 03:27pm
Well I have no objection against women becoming surgeons but most of these female surgeons just want the title of surgeon.... They have almost no appetite for perfection or refinement (for surgery) during training
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Aly Jul 11, 2021 03:28pm
@Syed Abdullah thank you for the truth...
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Asad Jul 11, 2021 04:50pm
Fact is even if woman become surgeons, male patients will not go to her. Trust is absent. Female students spend ten times more money learning medicine, than earning and recovering it. They end up paying medical study loans for life. Wise to earn in female field were income is high - beauty parlour, tailoring, embroidery etc that way they can work and balance homelife.
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Irfan Huq Jul 11, 2021 05:42pm
@Bilal That is stereotype backward thinking. Who said men cannot take care of kitchen or raise the children .
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SHAH Jul 11, 2021 06:32pm
all i can say is thank you PTI
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Javed Hayat Jul 11, 2021 06:57pm
@Irfan Huq how many men out of total population of the country do you think cook, raise kids and do household activities while their wivies are working? Less than 1%
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WASEEM MALIK Jul 11, 2021 09:19pm
Changing and raising consciousness of masses together is the way out.
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Saleha Jul 11, 2021 09:22pm
I have been in this field for 20 years and the fight still goes on. Being a senior female surgeon I now know my worth among women in Pakistan. Let them say whatever they want to nothing can stop us.
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Rohan Jul 11, 2021 10:22pm
@Aly what about yourself... Stop commenting on knowledge level of others
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M Jul 11, 2021 11:26pm
Everyone like to compare everything with India but not about gender equality. People are so dumb to throw thier opinions even though they are at wrong.
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Irfan Huq Jul 12, 2021 06:46am
The country where I live and where in most of the household both husband and wife work they help each other including cooking and raising children Since they don't have the so called servants to bring even a glass of water for lazy adults they have to do everything together .
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Dreamer not Jul 12, 2021 09:15am
@Nazam taking pride is not enough, ensure their safety as well. Heard disturbing news lately
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Corruption fighter Jul 12, 2021 09:28am
@oldhabibian:There is no such work as specified man's field anymore. In Ghana, a mining company has found that women are more punctual and safer dump truck drives than men---and all-round better in taking care of their equipment. Better employees! Why hire unreliable men! Women surgeons are just s good/poor as men surgeons!
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White Noise Jul 12, 2021 11:27am
Well, we pretend that our daughters, sisters, mothers are free to follow their dreams, then we make it all sink by attaching them to an anchor of stone age thinking.
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White Noise Jul 12, 2021 11:31am
@tQ he still makes more money than you will ever dream of but thanks for the advice !!
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White Noise Jul 12, 2021 11:33am
Dear Dawn Reading the twitter comments, I think your people need to review such postings and not give any exposure to the trolls.
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Hassan Jul 14, 2021 01:57pm
@Asad : please come out of your cave and embrace 21 century....
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