The civil service is considered a male dominated field, and there may be some truth to it as a result of history and culture. However, as the Pakistani society progresses as a whole, more and more women are appearing in competitive examinations to be part of the prestigious civil services, be it on federal or provincial levels. Regardless, some people still hold the opinion that women should not pursue a career in this field, but what they cannot deny are certain facts about why women should most definitely pursue careers in this field.

As a woman myself, I feel the most appealing factor is the sense of security. Women can live their lives knowing that they have the ability to protect themselves because they are backed by the state. It is well-known that no one even dares take advantage of a CSP because they know they can get in some real trouble. And if a woman needs help in some way that she cannot provide for herself then as a CSP she has several influential contacts who can help her, along with her own department.

The power, of course, is something every CSP enjoys. Here, power does not the ability to get away with anything. It refers to the power of having one’s voice heard, the power of being able to make change, the power of helping others, the power of influencing society, the power of not allowing anyone to take advantages oneself, and the power of being able to do what one wants within the limits of the law.

Another factor is that this provides women with much needed stability. In fact, this factor goes in the pros list for both genders. Unlike private jobs, once recruited in the civil services, one enjoys high levels of job security. A job is practically guaranteed till retirement and once one reaches the level of a grade 19 officer, the only person who can fire them is the Prime Minister himself. Private jobs do not provide this level of security or comfort, there is constant uncertainty and fear of job loss.

With a career that provides power and security, women become entirely independent of whomsoever they rely on. A dependent adult finds life very frustrating because they have live according to the rules of someone else and are restricted in many aspects of their lives; dependent women more so than men. With independence, women can make decisions in their personal lives they would not be free to otherwise; what to wear, who to talk to, where to go, how to spend money, where to live, and their families wouldn’t have to worry.

Nowadays, many women are the breadwinners in their families. It used to be that only men were responsible for the financial burdens in a nuclear family. However, lately things have started to change. Not only are people beginning to recognize that every family cannot be carried by the male members, but they are also beginning to recognize that there are some families in which such a male member does not even exist. These could be families where the father has passed away or simply does not contribute enough. So many families are supported financially by women, I have seen it all around me among my friends and coworkers. So why not give a chance to an opportunity that could be life changing.

Moreover, even if a woman does not pass the examinations and get allocated, she would have learned a lot from the process. Anyone who attempts CSS comes out a new person with a more developed and aware sense of the world. Those who join CSS academies, like National Officers Academy (NOA academy) end up making connections that remain beneficial for a lifetime. Finally, there is no strong enough or valid reason against women entering this field and why they should not give CSS a chance, but there are several reasons why women SHOULD.

 

Written by,

Zareen Nayyar
PR Coordinator
National Officers Academy