Awareness needs to spread across rural districts of the country as well
HYDERABAD: Women’s day was celebrated with the Aurat March held throughout the country on 8th March. The participants brought along a number of posters and slogans and many were filled with crass language and intangible issues.
Hence, these have created a conflict between men and women which has been exaggerated on social media. Undoubtedly, the participants ignored and neglected to highlight serious issues such as rape, honor killing, early child marriages and violence against women, in their posters.
Similarly, women should have talked about sexual harassment at the workplace, and the legal recourse they can take or the policies needed to curb these menaces; rather than carrying out activities that did not even directly address these issues. Overall, the march was more of a general celebration, rather than a protest against these social evils.
Our country is a prime example of a patriarchal society in which women are denied their rights which are prescribed to them in the Constitution.
For instance, they are denied access to their inheritance they are entitled to as per the law. Traditional rituals like vani have historically suppressed women and their fundamental rights. Being a sociologist, I am of the view that social and cultural change for a better society will occur over centuries.
Furthermore, Women’s Day is usually celebrated in metropolitan cities, and the awareness needs to spread across rural districts of the country as well. In addition to this, a low literacy rate amongst females remains a big challenge.
It is the moral responsibility of every educated individual to play their part in eliminating factors which lead to these social evils and work together to ensure solidarity amongst our people as the Quaid-e-Azam, rightly said, “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.”
Ishaque Junejo
Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2019.
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