five-day Women Literature Festival, the first of its kind, was held in Peshawar from November 7 to November 10.

Attended by the literati, artists, educationists and activists who spoke their hearts and minds on the topic of women and literature, the event enthralled the audience with its line-up featuring 25 lively open sessions, 29 author-talks, several book launches, bookstalls, art exhibitions, workshops and poetry recitals.

The festival, organised by Dost Welfare Organisation and the administration of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, began with an inaugural address by Praveen Azam Khan.

She spoke about the role of women in the society and said that their participation should be encouraged in all fields of life. “Women have made significant contributions to literature and other fields including civil rights, education, healthcare and politics and gender. I have a message for young women; they must look towards their predecessors for inspiration,” said Khan. She also paid a rich tribute to women writers for their contributions to literature in Pashto, Hindko, Urdu and other Pakistani languages.

Mayor Zubair Ali also attended the event. In his address, he said that steps needed to be taken to safeguard women’s rights. “Women’s role in the society cannot be overemphasised in today’s digital world. In KP, women are aware of their role and its significance. They have the strength to raise a voice for their rights,” he said.

Irfan Khan, chief organiser of the Dosti Welfare Organisation, said that his organisation had arranged several events in the city with male as well as female experts on the panel. “…but the idea of organising the country’s first all-women literature festival took practical shape when a large number of women responded with enthusiasm,” he said. “The main purpose of this event is to promote women’s role in literature,” the mayor added.

Prof Dr Safia Ahmad, vice chancellor of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Womens University, said that women had embarked on a journey rife with hardships to reclaim their right to expression.

At a lively session titled From Fibre to Fabric: Unraveling the Textile Transformation, the panelists included Dr Shahid Gillani , Javeria Aftab , Sumavya , Nafeesa and Warnisa.

At another session titled Women in Arts and Entrepreneurship, the speakers including designer Shehmina Shah, artist and singer Mahnoor Niazi, fashion model Arisha Rafiq shared thought-provoking presentations and called for creating space for young women.

During a lively debate regarding women’s financial independence, the panelists stressed on the need to create opportunities for women so they can learn marketable skills and gain financial independence.

Dr Sehra, Dr Beenish and Dr Asma Nasrullah shared inputs on the role of women in STEM and urged the relevant authorities to give due attention to young women so that they could play their part. The panelists also expressed their views on empowerment of women.

An entire session was devoted to senior artist Tayyaba whose over 50 art-pieces were put on display for the cause of Palestinian women and children.

Kalsoomzeb, author of several books in Pashto and Urdu and president of Khwendy Adabi Lakhkar said that the event was a great step forward. She also urged the KP government’s directorate of culture to sponsor such events. Bushra Farrukh , noted author of Urdu and Hindko, observed that women in KP had excelled in literary expression.

Protection of women’s rights through legal reforms was yet another debate. Shehla Zahoor , Nida Khan , Maria Akbar and Tania spoke at length, covering almost all aspects of the issues in the light of the current legal framework.

Aishma Khan Shinwari , a young student from Khyber district, told The News on Sunday that she and her group of ten friends from college had attended the event together. She said that she had especially enjoyed the bookstalls and the art exhibition. Shinwari also said that attending the various author-talks and workshops had been helpful and that she had learnt a great deal about the rights of women.

Sehba Khan, another university graduate, said that women’s contributions to language and literature were huge. She said the first women literature festival was a befitting acknowledgement of women’s role. She said she had interacted with senior as well as younger women from diverse cultural backgrounds. She said it had been a novel experience for most girls and women.

The writer is a Peshawar-based journalist. He mostly writes on art, culture, education, youth and minorities.He tweets @Shinwar-9