‘Ideologies suppressing women should be challenged’
ISLAMABAD: The implementation strategy to tackle the Taliban is in place but there is a strong need to challenge the political and religious ideologies that suppress the people, particularly women and girls by restricting their opportunities to progress.
These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar on the ‘Impact of conflict and displacement on women and girls’, organised by the Women’s Organisation for Rights and Development (WORD) and the Pakistan Rural Development Programme (PRDP), NWFP, as part of their activities to commemorate the International Women’s Day. Those who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Rakshanda Naz, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Sameena Nazir, Shazia Hina and Aqsa Khan.
In Pakistan, an estimated 350,000 people were displaced in 2009. This massive displacement resulted from the military operation against the Taliban in Swat. Most of the displaced men, women and children were put up in camps located in Mardan, Swabi, Charssada, etc. Women and girls displaced by conflict were frequently exposed to discrimination, intimidation and sexual violence. Many faced poverty and social exclusion due to the loss of parents and spouses, who were killed in conflict. In situations of conflict and displacement, women’s voices often go unheard and their specific needs are overlooked at the policy levels.
Source: The News
Date:3/21/2010
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