LAHORE, March 8: Women-related issues along with the remembrance of sacrifices made in the country by feminist activists during a relentless struggle for women’s rights were highlighted at the meetings organized in the provincial metropolis in connection with the international women’s day observed here on Friday.

The organizations which sponsored these meetings separately to mark the day in a befitting manner included the Working Women Organization, the Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights, the National Workers Party, the Labour Party Pakistan and the Young Women’s Christian Association.

The women activists at these meetings expressed determination to continue with their relentless struggle which was launched by Pakistani women against discriminatory laws introduced during Gen Zia’s regime.

A seminar held under the aegis of the Working Women Organization with its president Rubeena Jamil in the chair was addressed as chief guests by provincial minister Ms Shaheen Attiqur Rehman, labour leader Gulzar Ahmad Chaudhry, PTV general manager Muneeza Hashmi, ILO director and FNST resident director.

Speakers said that the women who constituted fifty per cent of the country’s population deserved to be given equal rights so that they could be able to share the responsibility of making Pakistan a prosperous country. They hoped that the problems of women would certainly come to an end and achieve the objective of being recognized as men’s equals.

While labour leader Gulzar Ahmad Chaudhry touched upon the discriminatory treatment meted out to women workers engaged in industrial and commercial organizations, the provincial minister Ms Shaheen Attiqur Rehman said that the government was taking necessary steps to raise the status of women in the country.

She mentioned about the 33 per cent seats allocated to women in local bodies and said that much was being done to provide education to women for which adult education centres had been set up.

The WWO seminar adopted resolutions demanding the repeal of all discriminatory laws against women, providing equal representation to women in all fields, allocation of 50 per cent seats in the local bodies, assemblies and the senate, enactment of laws against harassment of women at their workplace and fixing minimum wages of workers at Rs7,000 per month.