Sindh’s women call out state, society for failing them

Demand economic justice, political, social and legal rights

HYDERABAD:

Holding both the society and the government responsible for the denial of their rights and liberties, thousands of women took to the streets in many districts of Sindh on Monday to mark international women's day. The largest rally, dubbed Aurat March, was taken out in Hyderabad.

Hundreds of women, chanting slogans and dancing to the tunes of music, walked around two and a half kilometers from the Shahbaz Building to Hyderabad Press Club, outside which a stage was set for a musical performance. The University of Sindh, Jamshoro's professors and women rights activists, Dr Arfana Mallah, Prof Amar Sindhu, Aaliya Bakshal and Haseen Musarat Shah, were among the organisers.

The participants carried placards inscribed with slogans such as dowry is a curse; the difference in wages of men and women not acceptable; my favourite season is the fall of patriarchy; and I am myself, my dignity, my respect.

"Women regenerate society, society oppresses women," read another placard. "A nation can't free itself from the divisive class system if women are kept in servitude," stated yet another.

"The Aurat Azadi March wants not only freedom for women but for the whole society," said Bakshal, adding that women want to be free from exploitation, compulsion and torture. She observed that the patriarchal system is not limited to households but it has engulfed the government as well, all to the detriment of women.

The marchers passed resolutions, demanding economic justice, political rights, social and legal rights, the right to education and an end to violence against women.

"We demand that means of employment for village women should be created and they should be judiciously employed," read the resolution. "The majority of women work in non-regular sectors where labour laws aren't implemented. The federal and provincial governments should ensure implementation."

The marchers also called for legislation to pave way for election of more women on the general seats of the assemblies rather than on the reserved seats. "We declare domestic violence to be a congnisable offence," stated the resolution.

The march asked the government to set up special courts to hear cases of crimes against women. The resolutions also demanded an amendment to the laws regulating child marriages to provide greater protection to minorities.

Across Sindh

Hundreds of women took part in the march taken out from Molchand Tekchand Park to Sukkur Press Club, led by Dr Ayesha Hassan Dharejo, Zubeda Kanwar, Sindhu Nawaz Ghangro and others.

Dharejo said that women from urban and rural parts of Sukkur have gathered to express their complaints about the inequality-based system of society.

"The innocent daughters of Sindh want to see an end to the feudal, tribal and patriarchal system," she added.

Kanwal said that the women from the upper Sindh region have for decades remained victims of tribal customs. "They are fighting to be recognised as humans."

She deplored that incidents of honour killings are increasing and the tradition of giving a girl in wedding to a person as a punishment for an alleged crime of her father or brother is also prevalent. She demanded that the influential people, who are often politicians, who settle such cases through jirgas should be booked under the anti-terrorism law and disqualified from taking part in elections.

Advocate Rizwana Memon said the underage marriages and conversions of Hindu girls still widely occur in their region.

Rallies were also organized in Larkana, Nawabshah, Dadu and other districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2021.