ISLAMABAD: International women’s Day being celebrated around the world including Pakistan highlighting the role of women in progress of the world.
The United Nations in 1975, declared 8th March as the International Women’s Day. The influence of the day growing across the world from that day.
It is a day to commemorate the achievements of women and to raise awareness for the social and political equality of women around the world. It calls for challenging the status quo for women’s equality and vigilance inspiring positive change.
International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe. International Women’s Day has assumed global significance for women in developed and developing countries alike.
The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point to build support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.
Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
In Pakistan the crimes against women including honor killings, acid attacks and gender-related offences have been on rise. But the country has also made progress with regard to laws protecting women passed over the last four years, including the Benazir Income Support Programme Act, the anti-sexual harassment legislation and empowering the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW).
The passage of the Domestic Violence Bill in Sindh is a breakthrough, while the National Assembly failed to pass the bill so far. Balochistan also passed a weaker version of the law.
Pakistan has to move ahead and take more steps for providing its daughters an equal status in the society with passage of laws and ensuring the mechanisms for enforcement of these laws to make the country a better place for the women.
