Know your rights: Awareness of civil liberties crucial for female empowerment

Events held by UoP and Gandhara Hindko Board to mark International Women’s Day.

PESHAWAR:

Awareness about their legal rights is a vital step towards enabling women in all areas of their lives, agreed speakers at an event arranged by the Gandhara Hindko Board in the city on Saturday to mark International Women’s Day.

“Women constitute 48% of the population of Pakistan, and play various roles in every tier of society,” noted Gandhara Hindko Board Vice Chairman Dr Salahuddin. “The problem is their lack of awareness about their rights.”

“The country is not short of laws which protect women, but they are not aware of how to use them to gain justice,” agreed senior lawyer Tasneem Hussain.

Salman Haider, the author of Hindko book Niki Jai Dunya, highlighted there are undue restrictions placed on the mobility of women.

“Instead of setting limits for women, we need a change in the traditional mindset that looms over a woman’s individual and communal life,” explained Haider.

Renowned writer Professor Dr Ghazala Yousaf, who was presiding over the event, brought the audience’s attention to women having worked shoulder to shoulder with men despite the odds. She also stressed on the need for awareness among women regarding their legal rights in Pakistan.

The day at UoP

International Women’s Day was also observed at University of Peshawar’s (UoP) convention hall on Saturday.

Historical achievements of women in every sphere of life were spoken of at the occasion, along with injustice in today’s society.

“Pakistani women can achieve anything if provided the opportunity,” said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Secretary Higher Education Farah Hamid in her address. “Female students in K-P are second to none in the country and the education ratio is constantly rising.”

Hamid urged that in a male-dominated society, women should work harder to achieve excellence in all fields. “The prevailing deprivation among women can only be remedied with proper sensitisation in an organised manner.”

“UoP is probably the only higher education institution in the country where female students have outnumbered their male class fellows,” speculated Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Rasul Jan in his opening remarks.

According to Jinnah College for Women Principal Dr Nelofar Zeb, women now have more opportunities in many sectors as compared to before.

“Girls from rural areas would never be allowed to study,” Zeb said, “but now families are more aware about the benefits of female education and allow their daughters to attend school.”

At the end of the ceremony, awards were distributed among participating students and female achievers in the field of education.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2014.