Awareness walks and a conference were held in Faisalabad and Multan to mark the International Women’s Day here on Friday.
In Faisalabad, a walk was organised jointly by the city district government and the Women Development Department. The walk was led by MPA Anjum Safdar and District Coordination Officer Akram Bhatti. Community Development Executive District Officer Asif Tarar, Health EDO Dr Abdul Rauf, Assistant Director (Colleges) Shazia Samdani, Social Welfare DO Muhammad Saleem, Gender Specialist Muhammad Ehsan, girl students and NGO activists participated in the walk which started from Hilal-i-Ahmar Chowk and culminated at the same point after passing through Rail Bazaar and Gumti Chowk.
The participants carried banners and placards inscribed with slogans regarding women’s rights.
Addressing the walk, Safdar said the society could not progress without empowering its women. She said the Punjab government, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, had effectively implemented the Women Empowerment Act for the protection of the rights of women. She said ample opportunities had been given to women in various spheres of life to bring them into the mainstream of national development.
Bhatti stressed collective efforts to raise women’s prestige. He said the city government was taking steps to protect the rights of women.
Separately, a rally and a conference were organised in Multan to raise awareness, especially among rural women, about women’s rights.
The Pattan Development Organisation and the Women’s Concerns Network jointly held the conference and the rally at the Multan Arts Council and the Pul Mauj Darya, respectively. About 1,200 women participated in the events which were also attended by PML-N, PPPP and MQM representatives.
The conference’s theme was Women and Upcoming General Elections. The event’s main objective was to highlight the predicaments the women of Pakistan face today in exercising their right to vote. Women’s Charter for Political Parties and Candidates: General Elections 2013 was also launched to highlight women issues and demand that political leaders include women in the democratic process.
Singer Surayya Multanikar said the parliamentarians were not true representatives of the common man as they all belonged to the elite. She urged the participants, especially the women, to continue their struggle for their rights.
Dr Gloria Almas urged the government to provide women from minority communities with an equal chance to be part of the mainstream.
Ms Seema from the Sindhiyani Tehreek highlighted the plight of Sindhi women.
A play was also staged by the Pattan Culture Desk, Lok Natak.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2013.