PA resolution reaffirms commitment to end discrimination, violence against women

To mark International Women’s Day, the Sindh Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution to reaffirm its commitment to end all kind of discrimination and violence against women in order to ensure the fundamental human rights to them.

The resolution to this effect was tabled in the House by Sindh Minister for Women Development Syed Shehla Raza. The resolution states: “On the eve of International Women’s Day, this House reaffirms the commitment to end all kind of discrimination and violence against women and to pursue policies that guarantee fundamental human rights for women and further provide equal opportunities of education, jobs, financial freedom, independence, security, and respect.”

Speaking on her resolution, the women development minister explained that International Women’s Day was commemorated every year on March 8 in memory of a pregnant worker who died in service of a cotton factory in New York that employed only female staffers.

She said that afterwards a global movement was launched for securing rights of women as the demand was also made to give voting rights to the female members of the population. Shehla put forth the suggestion that a separate economic policy be devised for women keeping in view the coronavirus health emergency.

Female legislator of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Rana Ansar greeted the women members of her party on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

She called upon the government to adopt a firm policy to tackle the issue of harassment against the women at workplaces.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Marvi Faseeh lamented that male members were present in the House in less number when the assembly was discussing the issues of women. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan MPA Sarwat Fatima said Islam had guaranteed all the due rights of women.

PPP legislator Imdad Pitafi said the late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was a role model for the Pakistani women. MQM-P’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that women in Pakistani society had been massively contributing to the national development and due respect should be given to them.

He urged the Sindh government to take action against obsolete social customs that caused exploitation of women. Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahoo mentioned that the ruling PPP had played an important role in ensuring the women’s rights and launching the Benazir Income Support Programme was one such major initiative. He added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had included in the party’s election manifesto some salient points to ensure protection of women’s rights.

Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani lamented that before such an important resolution could be presented, opposition legislators had walked out of the House after causing disturbance during the proceedings of the session.

He said that earlier the security staff of the assembly secretariat had been threatened and now he and the assembly secretary had been threatened by unruly legislators. The speaker said he should not be compelled to take disciplinary action against the legislators who caused chaos in the provincial assembly.