Karachi
In a press conference on the eve of the International Women's Day, the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) voiced its dismay over increasing levels of violence and brutality in Pakistani society and the unwillingness or lack of capacity of the state to eliminate the laws of Qisas and Diyat that determine justice by supporting impunity for crimes through “settlements”.
Nuzhat Qidwai, a WAF representative while speaking at the Karachi Press Club, said all violence against a person remained a crime against the state and the state cannot be allowed to withdraw from its prime responsibility of guaranteeing the security of all persons without discrimination.
She said the WAF demanded in light of alarming levels of unprecedented brutality in the society against women, special provisions needed to be enacted to ensure safety of life and security to counter this growing trend and new forms of violence that were arising, besides against cruel retrogressive practices.
Speaking on the occasion, Anis Haroon, a former chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women, said provincial commissions on the status of women should also be established in Sindh immediately since similar bodies were already working in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhunwa. She said the provincial commissions must be autonomous and operate independently with an adequate amount of funds and qualified officials.
Haroon emphasised on the revocation of those articles of the constitution that contradicted either the fundamental rights chapter or internationally accepted Human Rights standards and all discriminatory laws, such as the Qanoon-e-Shahadat (law of evidence) and law of citizenship, must be reviewed since they did not uphold the equal status of Pakistani women.
Speaking to The News, rights activist Naghma Iqtidar said over the past decade, the state of Pakistan had witnessed seismic changes following direct attacks on state and society by religious militancy. “This has taken a tragic toll on the lives and livelihood of women,” she said. “Since inception, the status of Pakistani women has generally remained weak and vulnerable.”
The state must affirm its commitment to a secular, democratic and peaceful society, she stressed.
Working women's rights
Around 80 percent of the country’s economy comprises of the efforts of informal workforce and women labourers contributed up to 40 percent to the country’s manufacturing sector, according to Zahra Khan, the general secretary of Home-Based Women Workers’ Federation, adds APP.
Khan was speaking at an event held at the Karachi Press Club to mark International Women’s Day observed on March 8, jointly organised by the HBWWF and National Trade Union Federation.
A large number of home-based women workers and labourers belonging to different industries and affectees of the Baldia tragedy attended the event.
a candle-light vigil was also held on the occasion to express solidarity with the struggle of working women and a glowing tribute was also paid to the victims of Baldia factory fire.
Khan said around 16 million women were part of the informal workforce and were not recognised by the state. She emphasised that home-based workers were an integral part of the production process and they contribute up to 40 percent to the national economy. But since they were unskilled, she said, there was no scale of their salaries and wages.
The vice president of the Association of Affectees of Baldia Tragedy, Saeeda Khatoon, said women workers faced worst possible conditions in factories and other workplaces, even in the 21st century.
She said a large number of the victims of industrial mishaps were women, and the Baldia fire was an example of it. However, she said, their heirs were struggling to get justice even after three years.
The deputy secretary-general of National Trade Union Federation, Nasir Mansoor, said the number of home-based workers were rising sharply in Pakistan but they did not get due attention by the government for the resolution of their problems. He said millions of home-based women workers used their homes as factories to produce goods and took care of utility bills by themselves. He agreed with Khan that these women were part of the production process in 80 percent localities in Karachi and braved abject poverty.
