March 8th,2oo8
Did that ring any bells, huh? A wild guess? On well, March 8th is celeb
rated across the globe as an International Women’s day. Now the question arises why there was a need to mark a whole day to revise and educate others and women themselves of their rights. Well here are a few of ’em. Now let us know a little about how it all started and all that jazz. This is where wikipedia doesn’t have a close rival (atleast in my oh-so-humble -opinion).
This year’s theme for the IWD is ‘Investing in Women and Girls’, as announced by the United Nations. The celebrations across the globe will focus on financing for gender equality, calling for a change, and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played extraordinary roles in the history of their countries and communities. Keep reading >>>
Apart from other countries in the world, in Pakistan women’s day was celebrated with zeal. Events were planned through out Pakistan, activists joined a conference on eliminating discrimination and violence against women, a rally and even a women’s rock-climbing competition. Last year’s competition resulted in a great success and is again expected to attract many people.
In Lahore IWD was celebrated in full spirit by the civil society. Seminars were held, there were conferences, walks, candle light vigils and symposiums throughout the day to commemorate the struggle of women all across the globe. Read more >>>
The Pakistan Peoples Party Women Wing (PPPWW) Sindh has marked International Women’s Day, March 8, in honour of the late Benazir Bhutto, as the only female leader of a political party and the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world. It also said 2008 is “The Year of Benazir Bhutto”. Here’s more>>>
In most countries around the world women do not have proper rights in society. And here’s when Islam accepted and protected women’s rights, that they should not be treated as slaves or animals. Here is a brief visit to Women’s Rights in Isalm >>>
In the end March 8th is the day to talk about women, their rights and their problems.
While your bringing up of this important topic of Women’s rights is appreciable, I fail to understand the relevance of mentioning Women’s Right’s in Islam as women’s rights are not hostage or dependent on a religion. However, now that you have brought the issue up let us examine the status of women in Islamic societies. It is not sufficient not to treat women as slaves or animals, they need to be treated foremost as human beings with equal status and rights. Name a single country amongst 50 plus Islamic nations, except Turkey to an extent, where women enjoy equity socially, institutionally, legally and economically. Having a theory (that too an outdated one) in one thing and the situation on the grounds is another. Please stop harping on Islamic Rights for Women, unless you have a role model anywhere in the world to show.
And, yes, I wonder how come Hazrat Khadija could be an independent international trader if pre-Islamic Arabian society was so anti-women? Not only she employed men to work for her, she had the courage provided by societal norms to propose the Prophet into marriage. All the signs of a mature pro-women society. While you are at it, think of gender imbalance that might have produced had there been a widespread practice to burying girls alive at birth? Hinda also comes to one’s mind when you think of women in leadership position in the much maligned pagan society.
I wish we could come out of illusion of a theory or days gone-by and highlight and tackle the present day issues out of religion’s framework. Don’t be a hostage to history or untested and untried idealism. They don’t provide a solution to women beaten black and blue daily in their homes, discriminated institutionally and socially at every stage and seen their mere existence as a stigma on the honour of a family.
Well first of all thank you for showing interest and taking time to respond. Well while writing this article my obejective was to create awareness among women of their rights. If they won’t fight for their rights, no one will.They should atleast know where to say NO. The problem with many women,even in Islamic countries is that they don’t have a single clue of their rights, and please let’s just NOT go into details of how women are treated in Non-muslim counries, the basic hereditary laws for women were implemented some time in 19th century.
And please i’m not implying everything is goody-goody for women in Islamic counties but there’s hope because the laws are alraedy there, all we need is to get the proper knowledge, raise our voices and get them implemented otherwise i wouldn’t be writing this post.It’s time to be the change we want to see in the world. And it actually works, the process maybe time cosuming but it’s worth the pain.
Think different!
Stay beautiful!
A place where women are not allowed to wear shoes or eat meat
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