‘Everyone has right to street march regardless of gender’

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gul while commenting on the controversies around 8th March Women Day and Aurat March said that everyone has right to do March regardless of gender and one should avoid to indulge in controversial debates. She said there is no fight between men and women and we should all rather raised our voices against forced marriages, Karo Kari, lack of property rights, lack of job opportunities, and lack of access to health and education facilities etc. She expressed these thoughts during a seminar titled “Each for Equal; International Women’s Day 2020” organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.

Zartaj Gul said that it is good to celebrate one specific day every year for women, but every day is women day as women are part of every single aspect of society and we cannot simply ignore or denied their role and contribution. "We should learn to respect our daughters, mothers, sisters and spouses and empowered them for their positive role they play for the society. Women empowerment is incomplete till a woman is not economically empowered,” she said. Zartaj said we should not stigmatize women’s role in our society and should not forget all those women who are most marginalized in far flung rural areas and don’t have access to opportunities and basic necessities.

Executive Director, SDPI, Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri while expressing solidarity on behalf of civil society for international women day celebrations and Aurat March said that for us this year’s theme “each is equal” is yet another manifestation of SDGs message of “leaving no one behind”.

"We should all acknowledge and respect the role of 50 percent of population (women), otherwise we would fail to achieve sustainable and inclusive development."

He said that we strongly condemn any move that aim to hurt equal rights for all genders.