HYDERABAD: Rights activists, students, working women and members of general public staged marches in Hyderabad and Ghotki towns and different programmes were organised across the province to mark the 113th anniversary of International Women’s Day on Wednesday.

In Hyderabad, the march organised by Women Action Forum (WAF) started from Shahbaz Building roundabout and culminated at local press club.

WAF leaders Amar Sindhu, Arfana Mallah, Haseen Musarrat, celebrated story writer Noorul Huda Shah, Atiya Dawood, Marvi Awan and Comrade Radha Bheel and others said in their speeches from a stage set up especially for the occasion that women should stand up and say no to all forms of exploitation against them. They should not allow men to take decision on their behalf, they said.

They said that women peasants should give up fearing and be masters of their own destiny. They should not forgive anyone for murders of women and learn to challenge, they said. They demanded establishment of a society where women should not need men’s permission to step out of their homes.

They said that women had come out of their homes after having arguments with their families. “Women don’t want to disown their parents and husbands by raising voice for their rights,” they said.

The gathering adopted several resolutions, calling for elimination of violence, economic justice, political rights, educational rights, climate justice, health and reproductive health rights, rights of minorities, social and legal rights.

The resolutions demanded fixation of minimum wage for women working in farm sector and factories and as domestic help in houses and registration of women workers in informal sectors.

They called for issuance of “Mazdoor” card to women workers, fair representation of women in state, political and social institutions. Current laws against domestic violence failed to protect women, hence amendments be made to such laws and domestic violence should be treated as cognizable offence, they said.

Sexual violence should be made non-bailable offence and special courts be set up to hear crimes against women, they said.

They demanded that flood hit women should be provided sustenance on a permanent basis and informal handicraft of women be given status of domestic industry. The government should set up women’s markets to promote their handicrafts, said the resolutions.

In Ghotki, which witnessed greater number of crimes against women than the rest of the province, a large number of girls, women, men and children took out Aurat Azadi march organised by Sindh Suhai Organisation in collaboration with Joint Action Committee.

Women leaders Dr Ayesha Hussain Dharejo, Comrade Aliya Bakhshal and others said that it was the first time in the history of Ghotki that such a rally was taken out for ‘rights of women’ and elimination of Karo-Kari practice.

A large number of women, children and men came from Kandhkot to join the rally and raised voice for the recovery of Nazia Khoso, an expectant mother and her two-year-old daughter Kosar who had been abducted over a month back.

In Larkana, a function was organised at Darul Aman to observe the day where Commissioner Ganhwar Ali Leghari said that it was not bravery to kill the daughters, sisters and wives in the name of honour and solemnising underage marriages. “I salute those who defy the old customs. We have to change the mindset,” he said.

He said that recently Federal Shariat Court had also endorsed Sindh government’s law against underage marriages. The centre’s inmates presented tableaus depicting injustices against girls in the name of honour and underage marriages.

A seminar was organised in SZABIST Larkana under the aegis of Marie Stopes Society where Prof Mukhtiar Ahmed Samo, founder of Knowledge Centre, said that Islam had given an exalted status to women by placing heaven under the feet of the mother. In Sindhi culture, women were always held in high esteem, he said.

Easy excess to education for women as well as men in remote areas would help minimise crimes against women, he said.

In Khairpur, the Institute of Gender Studies observed the day at Shah Abdul Latif University. It was organised in collaboration with International Rescue Committee and Young Peace Development Corp.

In Mirpurkhas, Jamaat-i-Islami women wing took out a procession for the rights of women while in Rano Ramdan village in Digri taluka a seminar for rights of women and children was organised by Unicef and IRC. A similar programme was held in DIG’s office.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2023