HYDERABAD, Dec 16 Speakers at a seminar marking the International Human Rights Day have called for joint efforts for protecting rights of women and the underprivileged irrespective of their colour, gender, race, religion or social status.

They said at the seminar organised by the Association for the Betterment and Development of Human Being at the press club on Monday said that a UN resolution had referred to gender discrimination as a menace.

The executive director of the association, Ms Rafia Bangash, said that her organisation had been providing legal aid to people the victimised women and children for the past many years.

In a male dominated society, women had always been deprived of their fundamental human rights, notwithstanding the facts that Islam and the Constitution had guaranteed their rights, she said.

Sindhiani Tehrik leader Apa Nazeer Qureshi said that every human being has equal rights, which can not be divided on the basis of gender, religion or race.

Social activist Momin Khan said that women were discriminated against in the society and they were being crucified at the altar of outdated customs like karo-kari, vani and jirga.

Half the population of the country comprised women but they were deprived of education and health facilities as well as employment, he said.

Kashif Bajeer of Sparc also spoke on the occasion.