Educated women can transform society – 09 Mar 2021

KARACHI: The achievements and contribution of Pakistani women and their current challenges was the focus of discussions organised in the city on March 8 International Women`s Day.

The day also saw the launch of a patrol squad comprising motorcycle-riding women by the traf fic department.

At the Karachi Press Club (KPC), speakers paid tribute to Bilquis Edhi for her services to humanity, particularly to women belonging to the disadvantaged sections of society.

`The day reminds us all of those leading women who proactively carried forward the agenda of women`s rights. Top of thislistisFatima Jinnahwhostoodshoulder by shoulder with Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the freedom struggle,` said Sindh Women`s Development Minister Shehla Raza.

She urged women to get united and raise a collective voice for women`s rights.

She also proposed to declare March 8 as a public holiday for women.

PPP MNA Shazia Marri said Bilquis Edhi`s and Abdul Sattar Edhi`s serviceswere undeniable, reflecting their great dedication and commitment to humanity.

Society had a collective responsibility to take their mission forward.

In her remarks, Bilquis Edhi urged the media to portray a positive and proactive image of women so that awareness about their rights, their unique problems and challenges they f aced was created in society, helping them earn a respectable status.

`Women are the beauty of humanity.

Their contribution to formal and informal economy is critical in the develop-ment and progress of any nation. Their stories must be told to the common man.

It`s only then we can develop a civilized society,` she said.

Executive directive of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Dr Seemin Jamali, actor Saud, journalist Rashid Aziz and others also spoke.

JI demo A number of women workers of the Jamaat-i-Islami gathered in front of the KPC and staged a demonstration in linewith women`s day.

The event, titled `Strong f amily, strong woman, strong society`, was addressed by JI`s women wing`s deputy general secretary Amna Usman and JI-Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman.

Ms Usman said: `Both men and women have a respectable position in Islam. The so-called social workers hiding their real motives behind slogans of women`s rights will never succeed.

Hafiz Naeem criticised the current and past governments for ignoring key issues that strengthened women`s rights inPakistan.

`Capitalism in fact exploits every segment of society and being weak, women suffer the most,` he said, adding that it was in f act the responsibility of the state to ensure all the rights offered by Islam and ordered by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to women.

KU event At an event organised by Karachi University`s Centre of Excellence for Women`s Studies, speakers said women could transform a society provided they receive decent education and skills.

`Besides fulfilling their traditional responsibilities, women today can be seen in large numbers, performing professional duties at almost every level in the public and private sector. This is a big achievement,` said acting KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi.

One reason behind this trend, he noted, was the fact that women were more eager to get higher education.

Talking about women`s rights in Islam, he said: `Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) not only formulated and implemented women`s rights but also gave them a respectable place in a society which they could not imagine and had no chance to achieve before Islam.

He regretted that the patriarchal system and feudal culture had deprived many women of their due rights and that could be fixed by taking guidance from Islam instead of looking at the West.