Aurat March organisers in Sukkur expect peaceful rally

Aurat March organisers say religious party leaders have assured them of no opposition

HYDERABAD: The organisers of the Aurat Azadi March in Sukkur announced on Wednesday their 12-point agenda, which they will reiterate in the rally scheduled for March 8. Prof Arfana Mallah and Prof Amar Sindhu of the University of Sindh, who are organising the rally, told media persons that they expected the event to remain peaceful.

"We have spoken to the religious parties and Sukkur Police have [also] assured us that they will provide security for the march," Mallah said. She added that she also spoke to Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, leader of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, who, after listening to the demands of the march, assured that they would not oppose the activity. However, "I still demand from the Sindh government to take steps to ensure the protection of the participants of the march," Mallah said.

Women's rights activists had written a lot about the slogan 'my body, my choice' but society was still not receptive to the idea, said Mallah, adding, "A woman isn't a gender but a human." She said that the march was being carried out to demand the establishment of a functioning child protection department in the province in view of the growing cases of child abuse. She also spoke about the alleged discrimination in the appointment of women in government departments in the province and the Centre.

Sindhu, who also heads the Khanabadosh Writers Cafe, said they wanted protection of the women's political, social, economic, cultural and citizenship rights. Women contribute to the economic development of the country but their contribution is seldom reflected, she added.

She said the cottage industry involving women should be given the status of a proper industry and the women working the industry should be provided labour rights. She also called for the inclusion of women in the Sindh Tenancy Act.

"Our struggle will continue till the independence of women," said Mallah.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2020.