Women’s rights: Nobel laureate for social, economic liberty

Nobel Peace Laureate says women’s voices must be loud, as they represent the solution to various problems

Women should struggle for comprehensive solutions to build a society based on peace, democracy, rule of law, justice, equality and freedom. They should also raise their voice against injustices, corruption, illiteracy, and poverty in society.

These views were expressed by Nobel Peace Laureate Tawakkol Abdel-Salam Karman, the first Muslim Arab woman awarded the prize in 2011, according to a press release on Tuesday.

She said women’s voices must be loud, as they represent the solution to various problems. Fighting for women’s rights is likely a fight against customs, Karman added.

She was speaking at the Emerging Young Women Leaders Congress 2015, organised by Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPD) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation in partnership with Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences Pakistan and National Testing Service Pakistan.

She said that governments, institutions and laws should guarantee active participation of women in all walks of life, adding that a special quota should be reserved for this purpose.

“In my opinion, the quota for women should be 60 per cent,” Karman said, adding that political parties should also ensure effective representation   of women in general elections.  Women must struggle for inclusion in social and economic liberty in the constitution and the law.

“Pakistan is the country of Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto and Malala Yousafzai – women from all over the world, especially Muslim women, are proud of their dedicated contribution,” Karman remarked. She was of the view that economic liberty is the only way to achieve the desired goals aiming at women empowerment.

In her welcome remarks, IPD President Farhat Asif shared the congress’ objectives and shed light on the low representation of young women in various spheres of Pakistani life.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2^nd,  2015.