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| April 27, 2003 | Sunday | Safar 24, 1424 |
Moot on women’s rights held
HYDERABAD, April 26: The government is supporting and encouraging women to eliminate gender discrimination in the society.
This was said by the Sindh secretary for information, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, while speaking at a seminar on “Women Rights”, organized by the Sorath Samaji Tarqaiati Tanzim (SSTT) in the Morio Mirbahar village here on Friday.
She maintained that without the support of men, this discrimination could not be eliminated.
Ms Rashdi expressed the hope that the increase in women’s representation in local councils as well as in provincial and national assemblies and the Senate would pave the way for restoration of women’s rights.
She held both men and women equally responsible for the prevailing gender discrimination in the society.
Condemning the custom of Karo-kari, the secretary said this curse could only be rooted out by creating awareness among the masses and through education.
She said women would have to change their attitude to make their struggle a success.
She appealed to educated women to patronize and encourage women’s organizations for the welfare of under-privileged women. Ms Rashdi also stressed upon parents to send their daughters to school.
Speaking at the seminar, the district officer, secondary education, Apa Rehmat Qazi, said without education, women could not get their rights.
Noted educationist Dadi Lila said it was a good omen that women in rural areas were organizing themselves for their rights.
She said women of rural areas should unite on one platform to struggle against gender discrimination.
SSTT president Najma Mallah held landlords, industrialists and influential people of the society responsible for social, political and economic exploitation of women.
She said only lip service could not guarantee women’s rights.
She said even political parties did not include any women uplift programme in their manifestos.
Former SSTT president Shehla Mallah said the organization had initiated various development activities for improving women’s status.
She stressed the need for setting up vocational centres in villages to encourage women engaged in handicrafts which she said would help eliminate poverty in the rural area.
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