MIRPUR (Kashmir English): Like rest of the world, International Women’s Day was also observed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, with a renewal of the pledge to continue individual and collective efforts to end gender discrimination.
The Day was observed to ensure due empowerment, safeguarding equal rights and to maintain high respect, honour, dignity of the women folk at par with opposite gender in all segments of society.
Special ceremonies including, walks, seminars and symposiums were the hallmark of the Day that was observed throughout Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
World Women’s Day
The World Women’s Day is observed on this day of March every year since the year 1900 across the globe in the light of the charter under the manifesto of the United Nations to highlight the importance of the women’s role in society.
The Day was marked with special ceremonies including women walks, hosted under the auspices of various social welfare women organizations in all 10 districts of AJK with the resolve to maintain the equal rights and status of the females who have reached to about 51 percent of the total population of the country.
Several ceremonies were held to celebrate the World Women’s Day under the auspices of various local NGOs of Women and the state-run women development institution.
Addressing seminar titled ‘Status of Women in Islam’ hosted in Mirpur under the auspices of NGO ‘Anjam Falah-o-Behbood-e-Insaaniat’ at Kidney Dialysis Center Auditorium Mirpur DHQ Hospital, speakers highlighted the role model of eminent women social workers engaged in serving the ailing humanity besides for the uplift of the women in different sectors of life.
Those who addressed the seminar included Dr. Maria Zulfiqar, DMS Mirpur Div. Teaching Hospital; Mrs. ayesha Malik, Radio Anchor; Dr. Tahir Mahmood, Head of the Host NGO; Ex SD AK Radio Mirpur Muhammad Shakeel; retired banker Syed Shabir Shah, and ex Registrar MUST Prof Waris Jiraal.
The ceremony was attended by a large number of women representing various segments of the society mostly belonging to the social and working class of women folk.
Speakers strongly condemned the continued tragic incidents of molestation including rape and killing of innocent Kashmiri women by the Indian occupational forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Speakers called upon the United Nations and the international human rights organizations claiming to be the champions of safety of human rights, to immediately intervene to get the Indian atrocities against innocent Kashmiris including women, stopped.
Speakers underlined the importance of the role of women in all sections of the society and said “no healthy society can emerge without the vibrant role of woman in different capacities, especially as a responsible mother, sister and daughter.
