KARACHI: Rights activists stated on Monday that a “Working Women’s Rally” has been scheduled for March 8 in honor of International Women’s Day.
They denounced a number of recent upsetting and disgraceful occurrences against women, including the one in Lahore when a woman was attacked by a mob for wearing a dress with Arabic writing inscribed on it, while speaking at a press conference held here at the Karachi Press Club (KPC).
They insisted on the swift arrest of the radical and anti-women elements involved in those incidents.
They also called for the arrest and punishment of those responsible for the barbaric murder of prominent scholar and educator Hidayat Lohar.
Declare a march for International Women’s Day on Friday.
Regarding the rally, it was announced that it will start at KPC Chowk and end at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi.
Details state that well-known female resistance movement leaders will talk, sing revolutionary songs, and create tableaus that highlight women’s rights and hardships on the occasion. Thousands of laborers, fishermen, teachers, journalists, transgender people, and women battling against terrible killings and enforced disappearances will also be present at the event.
Zehra Khan of the Home Based Women Workers Federation stated during a news conference held at the KPC that “Women’s Resistance: For Democratic Freedom, Economic Autonomy and Social Security” is the main emphasis of our struggle on International Women’s Day.
On this day, we, the working women and resisting women who make up half of the population, shall reiterate that we will not give up on our unwavering fight against the imposed social decline, growing economic helplessness, and dwindling democratic freedoms. Women’s resistance in the ongoing conflict is beginning to give society hope.
“Working and resisting woman knows that her struggle will be successful only when she strengthens her connection with the political process and the struggle for the rights of her class, the oppressed and subjugated people, and the most important and first principle of this is resistance,” Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said at the press conference.
Transgender activist Kami Sid, Habibuddin Junadi of the People’s Labour Bureau, Saeed Baloch of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Sahrish Mehmood of the Nach Natak Mandli, and Subhagi Bheel of the Sindh Agriculture General Workers Union were among the other speakers.
