ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: There is urgent need to abolish all discriminatory laws against women, which are impeding their march towards emancipation.

This was observed in a lively discussion between the women legislators representing various political parties at the one-day “National Consultation with Women Parliamentarians” held under the auspices of Aurat Foundation here on Wednesday.

Though the women members of the National Assembly from Muttahida Majlas-i-Amal (MMA) agreed with the participants on repeal of discriminatory laws, they expressed their reservations about the Hudood Ordinance.

Ms Fouzia of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians said the women parliamentarians regardless of their party affiliations could effectively raise their voice for the rights of the womenfolk.

Criticising the Hudood Ordinance and its overall impact on the society for the last two and half decades, she said the law had failed in protecting the prestige, honour and social welfare of women in the country.

Being critical of various expressions of the patriarchal system in the country, she said acid throwing, honour killing, women bashing and domestic violence could only be countered if women lawmakers got united for the cause.

Ms Ayla Malik of the National Alliance said economic empowerment of women both at urban and rural levels could be a key towards their emancipation in the country. We should constitute a group having an issue-based strategy regardless of our party lines in this regard, she suggested.

Mamoona Hashmi of PML-N said they (women) had to fight at so many fronts at one time, knowing the fact that they were considered the weaker sex in the country. Women should be given due attention in education and health sectors so that they would be able to compete with their counterparts in every field of life, she suggested. Samia Raheel Qazi of MMA disagreeing with the rest of the participants on Hudood Ordinance said there was nothing wrong with the ordinance, but unfortunately over the years the law had not been implemented in its true spirit.

She was also of the view that women parliamentarians should work for the supremacy of parliament, as at present most of the powers still lay with the president, which was against the parliamentary form of government.

Responding to Ms Samia’s point of view regarding Hudood Ordinance, Ms Mehnaz Rafi of PML-Q said the late General Zia in his design to prolong his rule came up with a set of controversial laws, which had been seriously affecting women since 1979.

Another participant observed that more than 80 per cent of women in jails had been victimised through the application of this law.