HRFP and GHRD observed Women’s Day on “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”:
GHRTV
Pakistan (March 08, 2022): Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) in collaboration with Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) observed International Women’s Day 2022 on the UN theme, “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”.
The people from different fields of life especially the women, activists, political workers, lawyers, students, teachers, CSOs representatives and different stake holders participated in a demonstration organized in front of Press Club, Faisalabad. The participants raised voice and chanting slogans particularly on the issues of minor minority girls specially the Christian and Hindu minor girls, who become abducted, forcefully converted and forcibly got married by their abductors.
Naveed Walter President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) addressed to the participants saying that we have to struggle jointly to create a safe space for minorities and minority women particularly who are facing challenges based on their religion and beliefs. He said once a girl becomes abducted, their parents even cannot meet them nor the government departments helped family and victim because she became “Muslim” and this is happening with above 1000 Minority Women/Girls a year, he added.
Naveed Walter said gender equality is only possible when a biased, stereotypes and discriminatory behaviors toward women are discouraged from homes, schools and religious places. The equal opportunities to women are also a beginning of future development. The violations against women particularly the domestic violence, glass ceiling, sexual abuse, honor killing, discrimination in educational institutes, biased curriculum etc should be ended and culprits should be brought to justice , he added more .
HRFP urged government to take practical steps for achieving UN agenda 2030 of sustainable development goals; the 5th specifically that how to achieve gender equality, empowering all women and girls and about UN vision to “Leave No One Behind” as gender equality is a big challenge today and the multiple obstacles are being faced by women while the cultures and laws are discriminatory, Women and girls are undervalued, they work more and earn less and have fewer choices only comparatively. Moreover, HRFP have reported multiply that Pakistan is a country which is performing worst in the empowerment of women and the minority women are more depressed and highly discriminated.
The speakers Lala Robin Daniel (Political Activist), Tahira Anjum (Women Activist), Rehana Bibi (Social Worker), Nasreen Bibi (Political Worker), Shadman John (Activist), Manzoor Anthony (HRD), Abrar Younas (Labour Activist), Pervaiz Bhatti (Political Worker) and others said , underage minority girls are becoming targets of abduction, forced conversion and forced marriages but the law and enforcement institutes are also legalizing such abuses. Speakers said they stand together for the rights of women and demanding gender equality for a sustainable future, they added!
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Human Rights Focus Pakistan
Website: www.hrfp.org
