HYDERABAD: Speakers at a seminar have said that women are emotionally intelligent and can prove to be better managers and officers hence the government must utilise their abilities in the country’s progress.

They termed domestic violence against women as one of the major reasons behind their maginalisation, which caused them health issues. Pakistani’s was a heterogeneous society where every segment and gender was marginalised at some level, they said.

They were speaking at a seminar on “Empowering women through inspire inclusion” held at the Institute of Gender Studies (IGS) in University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on Friday.

IGS Director Prof Dr Misbah Bibi Qureshi said that domestic violence was one of main reasons for keeping women marginalised. It also contributed to their health problems. “Health is not just a medical issue, it is a sociological issue,” she said, adding that Pakistani society was diverse where every group and gender faced problems and some degree of marginalisation.

She said that due to societal systems, women were kept in a position with no influence in society. 

She stressed the need for empowering and educating women in a bid to help them stand on their own feet so that they could play a pivotal role in society while following through with UN theme “Invest in women: accelerate progress”.

Director M.A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry Prof Dr Arfana Begum Mallah said that she had come to know that most girls and women who went missing in the country were actually victims of honor killings and patriarchy. 

She stressed increasing women’s visibility on all important platforms so they could support one another and cope with every situation including domestic violence with no trouble.

Prof Amar Sindhu highlighted the need for a future roadmap in the form of specific universities and stressed that women were emotionally intelligent and could prove better managers and officers, hence the government must utilise their abilities for the country’s progress.

She emphasised the need for clearing misconception that feminism and Aurat March were against men in general as there was no such thing. “Feminism is for the betterment of women while it can never harm interest of men,” she said.

Dr Ameer Ali Buriro stressed importance of entrepreneurship and putting universities on the path to innovation through business to support national economy and building effective networks and collaborative team work to achieve the tasks at hand.

Students expressed ideas through a documentary about the problems women faced on a daily basis and termed ASP Sheher Bano as national hero and role model for girls.

The seminar was attended by pro-vice chancellor of main campus Prof Dr Abdul Sattar Shah, dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof Dr Hamadullah Kakepoto and faculty members and students.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2024