Aurat March: Women Walk for Their Rights across Cities in Pakistan
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 March 2022
• Eurovision Winner Jamala, Now a Refugee In Romania,
Sings From Abroad
• Women, Transpersons Make Their Voices Heard In
Lahore
• International Women’s Day: Time for Arab Female
Sports Journalists to Shine, Break Bias
• Women Are Capable Of Great Things, Say Female Saudi
Students
• Pakistan Launches National Gender Policy Framework
to Empower Women
• Lebanon’s President Honours Military Women
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/aurat-march-pakistan-rights/d/126538
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Aurat March: Women Walk for Their Rights across Cities in Pakistan
Women out in the streets
to celebrate the fifth Aurat March on International Women's Day on March 8. —
Aurat March Twitter
------
March 8, 2022
Marches across several cities in Pakistan, commonly
referred to as Aurat March, were carried out on Tuesday in connection with
International Women's Day as women raised their voice to demanded equal rights
and an end to systemic discrimination.
The first Aurat March in Pakistan was held on March 8,
2018, in Karachi. The next year, it was extended to more cities, including Lahore,
Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana, and Hyderabad. This year's event was the fifth
march since its inception.
The march has three main chapters in the cities of
Multan, Lahore and Karachi. The procession kicked off at 1pm from Multan's
Nawan Shehar Chowk, 2pm from Lahore Press Club and at 3pm from Karachi's Jinnah
Park along with demonstrations in other cities.
A slightly different event by the name of Aurat Azadi
March is held in Islamabad but was held earlier than usual this year in the
form of a rally at the capital's F9 Park on March 6. This development caused
young activists across the capital to fill in the vacuum of the Aurat Azadi
March by organising a whole new Aurat March Islamabad which began at 1pm from
the Islamabad Press Club.
Demands
Each chapter of the Aurat March has its own manifesto
with the Karachi chapter focusing on wages, security and peace; Lahore on
reimagining justice; Multan on reimagining the education system and Islamabad
on justice, security and freedom.
The Karachi chapter's three main demands call for the
provision of a living wage based on access to safe housing, quality education
and affordable healthcare for workers and their families; the provision of
social security and protection through monthly stipends for all women and the
transgender community and prioritising child welfare by putting an end to child
labour, trafficking for work, and bonded labour.
Meanwhile, the Lahore chapter came up with its
manifesto after extensive research and meetings with relevant communities including
families who have been affected by enforced disappearances, domestic workers,
survivors of sexual violence and religious minorities.
It demands more holistic reforms which seek to
transform society, provide psycho-social support to survivors of violence as
well as rehabilitation for perpetrators. The Lahore chapter also advocates
structural reforms that prevent patriarchal violence rather than short-term
solutions such as capital punishment and chemical castration.
The leadup to this year's Aurat March was fraught with
controversy as Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri penned a letter to
Prime Minister Imran Khan last month saying that anti-Islamic slogans should
not be raised on International Women's Day.
He had also suggested celebrating International Hijab
Day instead of Aurat March on March 8, in an effort to express solidarity with
Muslim women across the globe.
The letter drew the ire of various quarters on social
media, including politicians, which led the minister to later issue a statement
clarifying his intentions.
Other religious parties later joined in their
opposition to this year's Aurat March such as Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl's
Islamabad chapter and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan.
Source: Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1678931
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Eurovision Winner Jamala, Now A Refugee In Romania,
Sings From Abroad
Jamala became a national
heroine when she performed her song partly in the Tatar language, two years
after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine JONATHAN NACKSTRAND
AFP/File
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March 9, 2022
ISTANBUL: When her husband woke her up at 5:00 am
saying Russia had invaded, Ukraine’s Eurovision winner Jamala didn’t know what
to do first: pack, find their passports or take care of her two toddlers.
The 38-year-old ethnic Tatar never thought that she
would become a refugee like her grandmother.
She was driven from her native Crimea by Soviet forces
in 1944 – the title of the ballad about Soviet persecution that clinched her
the Eurovision crown in 2016.
“I never thought it would be a reality (today) because
it was (in) the past,” she told AFP.
But there she was, cowering in a building’s
second-floor parking lot in Kyiv.
“I was really shocked,” she said.
The family then decided to drive to Ternopil – 400
kilometres (250 miles) to the west, in search of safety.
But after spending a night there, the sounds of
explosions were too distressing and they moved again, this time to the Romanian
border.
Jamala crossed the border alone with her sons aged one
and three – Ukrainian adult men are not allowed to leave the country and her
husband returned to Kyiv to help with the war effort.
Her sister, who lives in Istanbul, picked her up.
Now she constantly checks her phone, waiting for news
from Kyiv.
“It is really hard when you know that your husband is
there. I can’t sleep. Every minute I am thinking about how he is, how is
everything.”
‘Dangerous’
Jamala, whose real name is Susana Jamaladinova, became
a national heroine when she performed her winning song partly in the Tatar
language in 2016, two years after Russia seized and annexed Crimea from
Ukraine.
Jamala’s lyrics drew Russia’s ire and boycott calls at
the time.
Crimean Tatars, a predominantly Muslim
Turkish-speaking minority, were deported from their homes by then-Soviet leader
Joseph Stalin, including Jamala’s grandmother who fled to Uzbekistan in Central
Asia.
“(The song) was about my granny, my family, all
Crimean Tatars who were deported by the Soviet army,” Jamala said.
She draws parallels between her grandmother’s
experience and what Ukraine faces today at the hands of Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
“At this time, we see the same situation,” she said.
Members of her band remain in Kyiv, hiding in
shelters.
“My sound engineer wrote to me yesterday that he
didn’t have any water… he cannot go out, it’s dangerous,” she said.
Trying to boost morale
For many observers, Jamala is a symbol of Ukraine’s
resistance against Russian aggression.
She was invited to perform her winning song “1944” at
the German Eurovision preliminary on Friday – an event marked by the war in
Ukraine.
“If I can do something, I will do it,” she said.
Even from Istanbul, she tries to boost Ukrainians’ morale.
With the yellow and blue Ukrainian flag wrapped around
her neck, Jamala sang her country’s national anthem in a video on social media
after her interview with AFP.
“We are a new generation, (we think) about peace,
about how to collaborate, about how to unite but we see these terrible things.
This war is happening before the eyes of the world,” she said.
“We should understand that it’s really terrorism, it’s
a really cruel war in central Europe.”
The invasion was “ruining the European values which we
built over so many years” following World War II, Jamala said.
“Ukraine is a real huge country with its own language,
with its own culture, with its own history. It has nothing in common with
Russians.”
Jamala doesn’t know what the future holds for her, but
she remains defiant.
“I just know that we have to win.”
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Women, transpersons make their voices heard in Lahore
Sheharyar Rizwan
March 9, 2022
LAHORE: The Egerton Road reverberated with loud
sloganeering on Tuesday as hundreds of women, transgender persons and men
marched from the press club to the PIA office to mark the International Women’s
Day.
The procession, which commenced at 2pm under a tight
security cover by over 300 police men and women, was primarily led by women and
transpersons of all ages and social standings demanding their right to freedom
of movement, education, expression, choose their partners and just live their
lives on their own terms without being dictated by the men.
Some of the slogans heard were ‘Dekho dekho kaun ayi,
aurat ayi aurat ayi’, ‘Jaagi jaagi aurat jaagi’ and ‘Mera jism meri marzi’
among others that seem to hit a nerve in onlooking men, who mocked the marchers
as they passed by. Some of the powerful messages inscribed on banners and
posters carried by the marching boys and girls read: ‘I’m stronger than fear’,
‘She wasn’t asking for it’, ‘I march for those who couldn’t march’, ‘Just
looking for fundamental rights’, ‘Weak men fear strong women’, ‘Asal insaf ghar
par shuru hota hai’, ‘Ghareloo tashaddud na-manzoor na-manzoor’, ‘Izzat nahi
insaan hai aurat’.
As in previous years, Tuesday’s Aurat March also
featured experiential art pieces, one of which comprised cut-outs of Youtube
‘journalists’ accompanied by their quotes denoting misleading coverage of the
march, harassment of the participants and sensationalisation of the event.
Hanging above the exit point of the march werekurtasinscribed with ages some of
the participants were harassed at and the relation with the harasser.
Aurat March event wrapped up because of JI’s walk
At the culmination of the march, participants sat on
the road outside the PIA building on Egerton Road, clapping and singing along
feminist tappay — a re-imagined version of the classic folk songs: ‘Chitta
kukar baneray te, zehri mardangi waleya narmi sajdi tere te’, ‘Gaddi wadh gayi
tation nu, kuriyan aiyan sarkan te agg lag gayee nation nu’, ‘Aaloo matar
pakaye hoye ne, saaday kolon ton harasser changay jerhay seenay naal laaye hoay
ne’.
Later, transgender persons carried a long white sheet
with names of their fellows killed over the last year written over it,
sprinkled rose petals in their memory and demanded the murders stop. Besides a
theatre performance and rendition of the feminist anthem ‘Rapist Ho Tum’,
upcoming singer Risham Faiz Bhutta appeared on stage and sang ‘Perhi Kuri’
along with transgender singer Jajji Jee and activist Jannat Ali.
Shaheena Kausar, an activist working for farming and
domestic women workers, told Dawn she was there for herself. “I had to fight
for my education, to work, marry by choice, travel abroad. So when I come to
the march I find a lot of women like me who needed permission to seek an
education, work and travel on their own from their parents. I find strength
from these women.”
A young student, Sidra, called the march a celebration
of being a woman and a fight that “we’re fighting every single day. That’s
basically what being a woman is in its entirety”.
Zanaya Chaudhry, a transgender rights activist,
believes women’s rights are the same as transpersons’ rights. “So we are here
to make our voices heard and to create a space for ourselves.”
However, the Aurat March didn’t come without some
disruption. Owing to a simultaneous ‘Women’s Protection Walk’ organised nearby
by the Jamaat-i-Islami and their attempts to interrupt the Aurat Marchers, the
latter were directed to wrap up much earlier than the scheduled time. After the
interruption, the demonstrators proceeded towards Charing Cross, but were stopped
midway and told to disperse. An enraged organiser said it was the
administration’s responsibility not to allot the ring-wing groups the same
route and time.
About the disruption, Sabahat, a marcher, said as time
passes, other groups also get organised, which is just part of democracy. “We
were suddenly told to leave, so it got chaotic, but the whole point is to come
together and vent, as it’s not easy for middle class women to express
themselves politically in physical spaces as it is on social media. This is a
possibility for younger women from a certain class to occupy physical spaces
together.”
A similar march was also held in Multan attended by a
large number of men, women, children and transgender persons.
CM Buzdar Meanwhile, in a statement, Chief Minister
Usman Buzdar said respect and honour of women was an integral part of
socio-cultural and religious norms of the Pakistani society, adding the West
could not imagine the abundance of rights enjoyed by women in Islam.
Source: Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1678976/women-transpersons-make-their-voices-heard-in-lahore
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International Women’s Day: Time for Arab female sports
journalists to shine, break bias
March 08, 2022
RIYADH: International Women’s Day is a special
occasion when the world is called upon to spread the message of gender
equality.
And it is a message that is poignant across the Arab
world at a time of constant change and development.
Great strides have been taken in recent years in
closing the gap between men and women in the workforce, but more work is
needed.
Under the theme, #BreakTheBias, the International
Women’s Day 2022 campaign aims to promote a world free of bias, stereotypes,
and discrimination for women.
And for the region’s female journalists, in
particular, there is considerable room for improvement.
Women have been increasingly proactive in the media,
especially in news broadcasting, over recent decades but unfortunately still
trail behind in the sports segment.
As a woman passionate about sports and having started
my career as a professional tennis player in Lebanon, my love to cover sports
did not stop there and fueled me to become a journalist covering all kinds of
activities including football, tennis, UFC, and Formula 1.
There has never been a better time to enter sports
media as the Arab world, and in particular the Gulf Cooperation Council,
continues to host some of the biggest international sporting events. Top
athletes from football, UFC, tennis, F1, golf, and horse racing have been among
those descending on the region to participate in long-established, world-class
sports events.
In Saudi Arabia, the rate of progress in just a few
years has been remarkable.
Crucially, more female athletes are taking part in
competitions alongside male counterparts, such as in the Saudi Cup and several
motor racing categories, or in their own competitions including the Saudi
Ladies International golf tournament which takes place next week in Jeddah.
Barely a week now passes without more additions to the
female sporting calendar. Only last month, for example, the Kingdom’s women’s
national football team made its international debut, beating Seychelles 2-0, a
landmark event that brought messages of praise from around the globe including
from Brazilian legend Pele.
With the number of female athletes constantly rising,
it is only right that proportional representation should come from female
reporters.
It is time for Arab women to be a part of the
experience and cover these championships in-person.
As the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic,
the sports industry is one of the leading sectors flourishing in the region.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain will each hold a Formula 1 Grand Prix this
year, while Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup 2022, the first time the football
tournament will have taken place in the Middle East.
In addition to the series of events in Saudi Arabia,
the Emirates is ready to host global meetings covering UFC, NBA basketball, and
tennis championships, and with other GCC countries also working on hosting
global sporting events this year, opportunities for journalists are on the
rise.
To all Arab female sports journalists out there, join
me in the media center to help #BreakTheBias and be part of history.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2038581/sport
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Women are capable of great things, say female Saudi
students
March 08, 2022
JEDDAH — Last Thursday, King Abdulaziz University in
Jeddah celebrated the graduation of their 1442/2021 batch with over 15,000
female students graduating in different majors. Serval students were polled to
share their thoughts and perspectives on Women’s Day and its significance to
them.
King Abdulaziz University was the first university in
the Kingdom that allowed both men and women to enroll simultaneously.
Heyam Shiaria, an interior design student, told Saudi
Gazette that she believes Women’s Day is important “because each woman can
reflect on the achievements that she made in her life and be proud of herself.”
She also thinks that it’s a nice reminder for people to recognize that women
are as capable of doing great things as men.
Nadia Albuqami, a biochemistry major, believes that
this is the most important day for women. “Females are responsible for the
basis of most things in life; they are the ones who get pregnant and raise
kids. They are always responsible for the behind-of-the-scenes duties.
When it comes to what do they like to see more on this
day, Nadia noted that she likes to see more discounts. “We are not asking for
gifts, just for discounts,” she laughed.
Mayar Atta, a business administration student, stated
that it is a day to honor not only women's accomplishments in the workplace but
also their diverse and formidable skills. "This day is for women to
demonstrate that they can work hard and be adaptable in everything they do; I
believe it is more of a celebration that they can perform both the household
and professional aspects of their lives."
Furthermore, when asked if she feels a men's day is
essential, she said, "I don't see the Women's Day as a competition for
what the men have done. Everyone has a place in this world," she continued.
“And I'm not opposed to having a men's day as well; they work hard and deserve
to be recognized."
"I believe the awareness element of the
celebration is also important,” said Reem Raja, another interior design
student. “It is good to spotlight women who faced all types of abuse. It serves
as a powerful reminder that they, too, are human beings with rights and that we
should remember them,” she added.
“Technically, every day is a women’s day, but it is
good that we celebrate her more on a particular day,” Deema Yusuf, a biology
student, said expressing her view. “Women are the backbone of society after
all.”
When asked about what she wished to see more on
Women’s Day, Deema replied, “I think we should also celebrate our bodies and
not just our achievements.”
“We are gifted with a body that can bear life. And I
feel blessed for it, but I also wish we take our time to understand it more.
That is why I think on women’s day we should have a day off, and to be honest,
I think we should have two days off twice a month just to deal with our mental
health and PMS.”
Sara Muhammed, a computer science major, believes that
this day is good to shed light on issues that align with women’s physical
competency.
“We need more women’s friendly environment and build
more rules that are thoughtful of the difference between our physiological
abilities,” she elaborated. “For example, a work environment from 9 to 5 is
when the male’s brain is in a highest functioning state, while women’s brains
are proved to function better at different hours.”
“I like that in our Kingdom people care more about
women’s physique, and they ensure her comfort first.” She continued, “It is
great that we have more remote jobs that go so well with women.”
Source: Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/617897
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Pakistan launches national gender policy framework to
empower women
8th March 2022
Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday launched the country’s
National Gender Policy Framework, an initiative aiming to empower women across
the nation and intensify the gender’s participation in the public sphere.
The framework, which was launched on the occasion of
International Women’s Day, was prepared by the Ministry of Planning,
Development and Special Initiatives and unveiled by the minister of the
department Asad Umar at a press conference here.
This framework aims at providing equal opportunities
to all segments of society, particularly women, to prosper and progress, Umar
said during the launch.
Umar during the unveiling of the framework stressed
the need for the implementation of legislation that had been enacted to ensure
gender equality.
“If a person doesn’t feel protected then he/she cannot
work to the best of their potential,” he said.
He said that increasing women’s participation in the
public sphere was an important goal, stressing that it should be addressed in a
systematic way rather than on wishes.
Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida
Mirza, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Lieutenant General Nigar
Johar, who is the first-ever female general to be appointed the colonel
commandant of Army Medical Corps, and several other dignitaries also attended
the ceremony.
The International Women’s Day was observed throughout
the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing an event in Rawalpindi said
that empowerment of women was a key to success.
Our country cannot progress unless the women are
educated,” he said, adding that the parents should send their daughters to
schools.
The Foreign Office in a statement on the occasion paid
tribute to the women around the world whose resilience, sacrifices and efforts
have made it possible for humankind to progress and build a better future for
all.
No society or nation can succeed and achieve
sustainable development without realisation of gender equality and women
empowerment, it said.
Separately, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari
said it was a day to honour women from all walks of life, adding it was also
the right of every woman to demand rights and work for her development.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President
Maryam Nawaz said every woman was the epitome of strength and courage.
“To every woman out there… You define the very fabric of
society. You make the world beautiful. It is said that being a woman itself is
a superpower. Make the most of it. You go girls,” she wrote in a message on
Twitter.
According to a report of the Aurat Foundation , a
Pakistani NGO working for rights of women, almost 70 per cent of women in
Pakistan have been victims of domestic violence, at least once in their lives.
This violence is generally committed by their intimate
partners husbands. These figures, however, do not include psychological
violence, which is even more common in urban communities.
Source: Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/pakistan-launches-national-gender-policy-framework-to-empower-women-2287692/
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Lebanon’s President Honours Military Women
March 08, 2022
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun celebrated
female army soldiers and officers on International Women’s Day as a delegation
visited him at the Baabda Palace.
“I can see the fruits of the efforts made to integrate
women into this military institution; something that was impossible in the
past,” Aoun said.
He added: “The number of women in the army is steadily
increasing in a patriarchal society that was not ready to believe women can
succeed in a field previously reserved for men.”
Aoun called for further efforts to make sure women
enjoy the same rights as men. “Today, women practice various functions in
society; they are doctors, scientists, judges and so on. But they are yet to
attain their full rights in one field: Politics, and having equal
representation in Parliament. We strive to achieve this.”
The commander of the Presidential Guard Brigade, Brig.
Gen. Bassam Al-Helou, who accompanied the delegation, said: “These female
soldiers are the elite members of the Lebanese Army, and they work in all
departments of the Presidential Guard Brigade and the Presidency’s
Directorate-General.”
Lebanon’s sixth official periodic report was presented
before the UNHCR follow-up committee in February to discuss the extent to which
the country has implemented the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women.
It revealed notable progress in integrating women into
institutions, especially in the military. A Gender Department was also
established for the first time in the army.
The report read: “A remarkable increase in women’s
enrolment in army ranks was recorded over the past year. In 2022, 51 female
officers out of 110 cadets will graduate from the Military College, and their
number will increase to 55 out of 108 cadets in 2023, a number of whom will
join the naval and air forces.”
Minister of State for Administrative Reform Najla
Riachi said on Tuesday: “Despite the positive breakthroughs women have achieved
in assuming leadership positions in the political arena, progress in this field
is still limited. Serious consideration must be given to the reasons that
still, unfortunately, impede the achievement of complete equality between women
and men.”
Riachi added: “We must overcome such obstacles, in
compliance with the preamble of the constitution, which stipulates that all
citizens are equal in rights and duties without discrimination. This is crucial
if we are to meet the fifth goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030,
which Lebanon pledged to implement.”
International Women’s Day in Lebanon was overshadowed
by growing crises over food security, and medicine and fuel shortages. Still,
Lebanese officials, including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Interior Minister
Bassam Mawlawi and Environment Minister Nasser Yassin celebrated Lebanese women
on Tuesday.
National Commission for Lebanese Women head Claudine
Aoun said: “With the support of civil society institutions and international
organizations, the commission is following up on the government’s
implementation of a national action plan we had drawn up, despite the
difficulties it faces at the financial, health and supply levels.”
Meanwhile, the National Federation of Employees’ and
Workers’ Unions was explicit in pinpointing the obstacles still facing Lebanese
women in light of the economic crisis.
It warned that Lebanese women are subjected to the
“worst forms of exploitation” as a result of the crisis and financial collapse,
and that the state and ministries were failing to provide women with any
support or social security.
“Today, some Lebanese women work more and get paid
less, while others have been pushed into unemployment.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2038806/middle-east
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/aurat-march-pakistan-rights/d/126538