LARKANA: Without purging the society of patriarchal system, gender discrimination and social imbalances, women cannot get equal rights, participants in ‘Women Azadi Conference’ were told on Saturday evening.

The conference, held in the Arts Council here, was organised by the Progressive Thinkers Forum in collaboration with the Pirbhat Women’s Development Society, Sindh Suhai Sath and the Health and Education Society.

A large number of women from Hyderabad, Sukkur, Ghotki, Qamber-Shahdadkot, Larkana and other districts participated in the conference.

It was presided over by a panel of speakers who said that there was a need to initiate a new movement for emancipation of women.

They said that women would have to spearhead movement for rights by themselves incorporating support of those men who believed in gender equality and wanted to get women emancipated.

Rukhsana Channar, research scholar pursuing her PhD studies in Finland, said that although we belonged to an ancient and largest civilisation of the world, women of Sindh were not given their due status in the society.

She said that only family could help women get them their legitimate rights.

“Our successive governments have failed to recognise the role of women in social and educational fields. And special attention should be paid to provision of food, education and training to women,” she added.

Prof Dr Sikandar Mughal, author of seven books on different subjects of science and a former registrar of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, said that in tribal system women were treated as an asset.

Even in developed society women were given less importance than men.

In ancient era, however, women enjoyed more importance than men, he added. Man on his physical strength subjugated woman. The societies where women had been allowed to play their due role had developed immensely. Women emancipation should not be limited to the awakening of women to their rights, but men should also be included into it.

He further said that in future with the invention of artificial ovaries, women would have choice for delivery of children.

Rubina Chandio, representative of Pirbhat Women’s development society, said that women should come forward to save other women from cruelty and injustice.

She further said that after recent cases of sexual violence against women, the government had made a law for chemical castration of those found guilty of sexual assault.

“We do not want anarchy, but justice in the society.”

Ayesha Dharejo of Sindh Suhai Sath said that equal contribution of women was included in the economic development of the country, but it was irony that labourer women were being exploited and they were not getting even enough money to spend on their personal wellbeing.

She said that women of Sindh were victim of financial bankruptcy and social injustice.

Feminist Nazeer Qureshi asked that what kind of emancipation women wanted? In principle every human being is born free and needs to enjoy freedom.

Sindhi society had been justifiable historically where women had enjoyed equal status and respect. They were not killed on any dubious allegation or given in forced marriages in past, but in this modern era of so-called development, the cases of violence against women in Sindh were frequently reported which was saddening, she added.

She said that nowadays women in the world had joined hands in the awakening campaign. Women in Sindh were also uniting against usurpation, inequality, injustice and violence against them which was encouraging. Government should implement all laws strictly which protect rights of women.

Elimination of tribal system

Subhan Dahri, an activist of the Sindhyani Tehreek, said that solution of problems faced by women was in elimination of tribal system.

Women and men were slave to tribal ill-practices; we had to liberate them by uniting on one platform and bring about change for general good.

Dr Aamna Soomro said that in human history women were treated like a commodity. Men had been dominant throughout the known history. Psychological wellbeing should be given special place in education.

Dr Qasim Sodhar said that feminism demanded equality of sexes, while women movement was only for women’s rights. In whole world women movements were focused on elimination of patriarchal society for it excluded women from economic affairs and handed these affairs over to men only.

He further said that traditionalists and religious quarters believed that women were only for their homes.

He said that through social media we could connect our movements in Sindh with similar movements in the world.

Social activist Shaheed Mahar said that due to natural calamities human population had been badly affected and the worst hit among them were women. Her health was affected due to malnutrition and scarcity of food.

Dr Zulifkar Rahoojo said that if social change was not coming, the discrimination from the society would not vanish. Before seventeenth century there was no law ensuring equality of women with men, he said.

Zulfikar Rajper said that in tribal Jirga the daughters were given as ‘sangchatti’. In such jirgas which were against judicial decree the landlords, elected representative, nationalists and civil society activists partook.

Latif Ibrahim of Suhai Sath said that many women gave importance to their son over daughter which was discouraging because it sowed the seeds of discrimination against women.

The open discussion was held in the end in which Janat Halepoto, Dr Ibrar Katpar, Sana Chandio, Umrah Samo and Rubina Chandio participated.

Earlier a book titled Aurtan ji azadi written by Dr Ahmed Nawaz Hakro was launched.

Rubina Abro presented her poetry.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2020