Women protection law a bold step: minister

LAHORE

It is disturbing that the followers of a religion that empowers women with the most rights than any other society appear to be upset by a bill passed for the rights of women after seven decades of the establishment of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

These views were expressed by speakers at the seminar held by Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society in collaboration with Urban Unit and PCSW.

The seminar was chaired by Punjab Minister for Population Welfare Begum Zakia Shahnawaz while the guest of honour was Punjab Commission on Status of Women Chairperson Fozia Viqar. The seminar was hosted by MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi.

The speakers at the seminar included senior columnist Munnu Bhai, Justice (R) Nasira Javed Iqbal, President Focus Pakistan Dr Idrees Faruqi, Senior Member Chief Minister Special Monitoring Unit on Law and Order Salman Sufi, SP Investigation Ammara Athar, Dean Academics UCP Dr Najma Najam, Director Public Relations Punjab Police Saeed Nayab Haider, Head of Cardiac Department Sheikh Zaid Hospital Prof Amber Malik, Additional Commissioner Punjab Revenue Authority Ayesha Ranjha, Resident Director Aurat Foundation Mumtaz Mughal, Senior Reporter of Daily Jang Fakhira Tehreem, Member PCSW Samina Nazeer, Religious Scholar Maulana Abdur Rahman and Dr Nighat Majeed from Services Hospital.

Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz said that the Women Protection Law marked a monumental moment in the country’s history as the daring initiative by the PML-N government was complimented by the overwhelming support of the Opposition. She hinted that the next bill would be regarding legal age of marriage because it affects female mortality rate vis-à-vis child birth and overall socio-economic fabric of the society.

Punjab Commission on Status of Women Chairperson Fozia Viqar said it was mandatory that 15 percent of all government departments comprise of women. The income disparity across gender is huge as over 50 percent women make under Rs5,000 per month as minimum wage while men make Rs7,700.Senior Columnist Munnu Bhai talked about how an incident of domestic violence during his childhood had virtually defined many years of his life, pushing him against the wall in a perpetual state of harassment. He said that he was given the prestigious Honorary Khawateen Award over one of his columns regarding women rights back in the 70s which he values to-date. He said that unless insults and profanity about women define our verbal abuse, there was a little hope regarding change in social mindset.

The speakers at the seminar opined that despite the last election reflecting 55 percent of total vote being female and a set quota of 33 percent by the government only seven percent of women were employed. Every day in Punjab alone, six women are murdered in the name of honour; eight are gang raped, while 32 are kidnapped. It would be criminal to ignore these facts.

Majority of the dissent among people regarding this bill is because of the misinformation spread about it which should be checked and discouraged. The bill is not against any rights of men but against violence and these two things are not synonymous. And the bill is gender neutral in many ways as even women can be indicted through it.

MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi said that the history of the country was witness to the fact that women worked side by side with men for the independence of our great country laying their lives and compromising their families in the process.