ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: Minister for Women Development and Youth Affairs Sumaira Malik on Thursday announced that the government was considering convening an international women’s conference in the country soon.

She was presiding over a ceremony held to launch two books, Pakistani Khwateen Ki Afsanvi Adab Main Aurataun Ke Masail Ki Tasveer Kushi and Khwateen Ki Shaeri Main Aurataun Ke Masail Ki Tasveer Kuhsi (1947-2002), published by her ministry, at a local hotel.

The minister said her ministry would have the books translated in a number of languages for dissemination abroad to project the tremendous progress women in the country had made in the fields of economics, education, politics and sports under the leadership of President Pervez Musharraf.

In Pakistani Khwateen Ki Afsanvi Adab Main Aurataun Ke Masail Ki Tasveer Kushi 1947-2002, Dr Sultana Bukhsh has dealt with the problems of women reflected through Urdu prose.

On page six, Dr Sultana writes that the reader comes across revolting picture of the treatment of our society that is in the grip of tribal, social and feudal traditions.

“The problems of women were magnified many times, because the male protagonist is also one big problem for her, especially in the division of property in the feudal system to which girls and women are regular victims.” Women were often exposed to the anarchy inherent in this grim method. All these problems get focused in the landscape of novels and short stories that women writers have written as comments on the society in the 245 pages book.

A consortium of three writers, eminent poetess Shabnam Shakeel, celebrated short-story writer and novelist Khalida Husain and the noted critic Dr Saleem Akhtar, has written the second more voluminous book.

While painting women’s picture in the second volume which deals with poetry, Shabnam Shakeel and Khalida Husain delve in feminine psychoanalysis and the situation of women who spend their days living under the shadows of patriarchal theory.

Shabnam Shakeel has a theory in this about male preoccupation with delicate and sharp features of women anatomy.