Rallies, seminar on Women Day demand equal rights | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Rallies, seminar on Women Day demand equal rights

HYDERABAD (PPI) – Rallies, demonstrations and seminars organized by various NGOs here on Friday on the occasion of International Women Day falling on March 08 have demanded equal rights for women, as without their participation the country could not progress further.

Green Rural Development Organization arranged a seminar, Center for Peoples Empowerment and Equality and other NGOs took out rallies and held demonstrations to observe women day.
Large number of women participated in the rallies and seminars.

CPEE rally was led by Ms Nasreen Shakeel, which were participated by large number of women who were carrying banners depicting the atrocities being committed against women.
The speakers including Nasreen Shakeel, Mubina Khanum, Ilyas Khokhar, Shabana Khan, M.Parlash and others said the country couldn’t advance without participation of women who form more than half the population.

They said country was in grip of various problems including the age-old custom of Karo Kari, unmatched marriages, violence on women etc. They hoped new political government would realize the situation and would give more weight age to women voice.

They demanded jobs to women and bank credits to the rural women so they could stand on their own feet.

A working women assembly was organized here by Green Rural Development Organization, which was also attended by hundreds of working and nonworking women. Among those attended were agriculture workers, kiln workers, domestic workers, health workers, councilors etc.

Majority of female workers were of the view that their men were big hurdle in their way of working.

Ms. Parween Soomro president of GROO chaired the assembly while Ms. Nazeer Qureshi chairperson of Sindhiani Tehrik, M. Shabbana Khan of PPP, Nasreen Shakeel peasant leader, or Hyder, Qamar Shaikh addressed the seminar.

At the end speakers’ panel gave ruling that this assembly considers the importance of recently held elections as victory of people of Pakistan over undemocratic forces.

Elections were reflection of sacrifice of great woman leader Benazir Bhutto Shaheed who lay down her life for cause of democracy and rule of law.

It demanded impartial inquiry in her assassination and punishment to killers and masterminds behind it.

Assembly demanded restoration of judiciary and release of all judges. It asked for equal opportunities and wages for women workers.

It demanded to abolish bonded labor most victims of which are women and children.

It further demanded recovery of family of peasant Munoo Bheel that was kidnapped by a landlord 9 years back.

It also demanded recovery of missing persons who were held by secret agencies and if anyone among them was wanted in a case he be produced in court of law.

It demanded from US and Israeli governments to stop killing women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine and quit the areas.

Source: The Nation
Date:3/8/2008