PESHAWAR: Different events were held in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to mark International Women’s Day on Monday wherein rights activists demanded of the authorities to provide equal opportunities to women in health, education and business sectors besides politics.

One of the major functions was organised in Peshawar by Aurat Foundation in collaboration with other organisations including Feminist Fridays, Women Action Forum and others. Singing, poetry recitation and speeches were parts of the event that were followed by a charter of demands for the government.

Regional head of Aurat Foundation Shabeena Ayaza, head of Enlighten Lab Tahira Kaleem, writer Asia Jamil and others addressed the function. They lauded enactment of law to check domestic violence and demanded of the government to frame its rules for early implementation.

Events held across KP to mark International Women’s Day

The participants also demanded elimination of discrimination against women and transgender persons in provision of reproductive healthcare service and access to health services. They said that violence against women on the basis of gender of newborn, for not being able to conceive or for their decision of not giving birth for any reason should be acknowledged as violence and proper policy procedures should be undertaken in the light of KP Reproductive Health Policy.Apart from ensuring right to property and inheritance of women, the participants demanded of the government to take additional measures for transgender persons, who were deprived of their inherited properties. They also demanded 33 percent representation of women in all tiers of elected governments.

Also, a community dialogue was organised at Peshawar Press Club by Blue Veins in collaboration with directorate of social welfare and women development department. The theme of the dialogue was ‘Creating an inclusive and gender just community.’

Meanwhile, Absar Welfare Foundation celebrated the day with 18 energetic young girls, who aim to become world champions. Girls were engaged in different modified games of table tennis and teqball with message of life skills in each activity.

In Lower Dir, Progressive Alliance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa arranged a seminar on the status of working women to mark International Women’s Day in Adenzai Press Club.

Speakers on the occasion demanded of the government to take practical measures to eliminate discrimination against women and ensure that poor segments of society could also get higher education easily. They said that all discriminatory laws against women in the country should be abolished immediately. He said that women should be provided with equal opportunities of education and employment.

Also in the day, civil society organisations like Development Empowerment Women Association (Dewa), Women Voices and Leadership Pakistan (WVL-P) in collaboration with Global Affair Canada and social welfare department arranged a function in Balambat to mark the day.

In Mansehra, the participants of a seminar attended by men and women from different walks of life demanded of the government to initiate sustainable development programmes for economic empowerment of women in the province.

The seminar was organised jointly by district social welfare department and Social Empowerment through Education and Knowledge (Seek) to mark International Women’s Day.

In Swabi, a function was held in Women University Swabi that was attended by faculty members, students and leaders of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Addressing the function, speakers said that lifestyle of Pakhtuns was totally different from other societies. They added that family system in other communities had been destroyed and people had become more materialistic.In Chitral, two different functions including a khuli kutcheri were held in connection with International Women’s Day.

Women from different villages of the district attended the khuli kutcheri in a large number. DPO Sonia Shamroze Khan issued directives for resolution of the problems faced by women and ordered inquiries into other issue mostly related to domestic issuesto ascertain the fact.

She asked them to reach the women desk, established in every police station of the district, for lodging complaints. She asked the women in distress to call at helpline 15 round the clock if they could not attend the women desk.

The other function was held by social welfare department, special education and women empowerment. The first ever shelter home for women in the district was also inaugurated on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021