Pre-Aurat March media conference

KARACHI: The 'Aurat March' organisers held a press conference today in front of the gate of Empress Market in dawn of the march on  March 8 Friday.

Aurat March 2019 is the second year the event is taking place on International Woman’s Day to celebrate the women of Pakistan, and the organisers are expecting a much greater turn out then last year in which 5000 women participated.

Aurat March is a citizen- led effort and not funded in any way by any political party or NGO.

The press conference was addressed by Qurat Mirza, Sheema Kirmani social activists, Sasi Lohaar activist for families of missing persons, Joti representing the hawker women sitting outside and around Empress market, Fatima Majeed representing the fisher women society, Binda Rana  the transgender society, Ghazala Pastor, Safina GIll representing the women of minorities Christian’s, Seema Mahaishwari representing the women of Hindu minorities, Shumaila Shahani  women lawyers and judges and Nuzhat Shireen.

Leading member of the drive ‘Hum Aurtein’ Qurat Mirza welcomed and thanked the media and briefed them on the main agenda, issues and main  representation by women that will be high lightened on Aurat March 2019.

The press conference took place at Empress Market especially to highlight the anti encroachment issue which has left many women hawker’s jobless and homeless says Joti the woman hawker.

Major issues faced by women of Pakistan mainly Karachi will be put in front of the government demanding justice.

Sasi Lohaar activist for families of missing persons said she and all those women like her will use this platform to demand the whereabouts and release of their brother, son husband or father.

Ghazala Pastor, Safina Gill and Seema Mahaishwari who are the voices of the minority women of Karachi and Sindh will use the ‘Aurat March’ to raise their issues and demand the government to give them their rights as  citizens of Pakistan, safety and equality in the society and in work places.

The main demand and motive of ‘Hum Aurtein’ which is the voice of all women of Pakistan is that they be treated with respect.

Shumaila Shahani a lawyer and social activist for women lawyers and judges says that there is no complaint cell available in the courts where women lawyers and judges can go and complain against any action of harassment. 

“No women lawyer can complain and is required to be silent” she says adding that it is unfair that a woman should have to suffer when she is working shoulder to shoulder with a man. Along with women lawyers, they will put their demands in front of the government.

Nuzhat Shireen added that she stands for the rights of those women who stay at home and are tortured and treated inhumanly.

Women demand respect, they demand their rights as an equal citizen of the country. They demand the right to be paid the same salary as a man when they are required to work equal to a man  was Sheema Kiramni's voice. 

Bindia Rana representative of the transgender community said “no advertisement is made without the presence of a woman because the product won’t sell without a woman”. 

She added that when the presence of a woman is required everywhere, then she should be treated with importance and not tortured.

The main drive of the Aurat March is ‘treat women like a human’, women are humans and should be treated like one. They will fight for their rights and they will demand justice.

Women of all walks of life from all religions and of all ages will attend the Aurat March and together, united the women of Pakistan will show their ‘Woman power’ on March 8.