8th March is a magnificent and vibrant date on the calendar for women around the globe. From last ten decades women’s’ organizations, progress group and scholars are struggling for reorganization, protection and accomplishing women rights. International women day give us opportunity to pay homage and express our admiration for those who played incredible role in women rights movement.
International Women Day acts as focus point showing the importance of bringing together women of all political persuasions, irrespective their social situation to ensure that every woman can fully enjoy all human rights and basic freedoms. Whenever we talk about women interests and welfare, attention goes to feminism or feminist movement. In Pakistan this word takes in numerous ways, mostly conceive as negative impression. Actuality feminist movements address equal opportunities for women as well as equal political, economical and social rights for them. It core intend is to understand the difference between gender inequities and gender variation. Basically the faith in equality among man and woman is called feminism and believer is feminist no matter is he or she.
In presents days, when world is swiftly transforming, huge areas are under political turmoil, many regions are facing terrible financial depression, some where people are thrashing by dreadful wars, great number of people are victims of terrorism and in many areas natural disasters are examining human nerve and patents. In our own home economic and political uncertainty, floods, constant blasts, poverty, joblessness, shortage of water, gas and electricity make life hell for every body. In this scenario when universally human beings are suffering, question arises, how logical would be to talk about women movement and their rights?
I must say here that in current situation talk louder about all deprived people’s rights especially about women rights is nothing less than logical and needs of time. Taking practical steps for safeguarding women rights is much important than ever before, but for this purpose human rights groups, women originations and specially academics and scholars must keep their minds open and must critically analyse world’s events instead of taking them as blind and blind. Here we must also inquire ourselves that beside of establishment of democracy, liberty to civil society, media and freedom of judiciary is claimed then why the rate of crimes and brutality against women is increasing shamelessly.
According to the report of Human Rights Watch in the last six months of 2010, numbers of crimes against women were 5014, these numbers are registered cases, details are as following.
Kidnapping: 2001
Murder: 719
domestic violence: 246
Suicides: 286
Honor Killings: 315
Rape: 483
Sexual harassment: 65
Acid throwing: 23
Burning deaths: 26
Rest of violence: 850
According to the statistics this horrifying truth shows that Pakistani women is living in such a tentative and horrifying conditions. Why?
To get the answer of this question, need to learn and observe closely present national and international socio-economic and cultural strategies, their creators and those who are behind the implementation of these policies.
From more than a decade, one of global rule that we are experiencing in our dally lives is called “Globalisation” that stands for free movement of capital from one region to other and no trade restrictions between countries. Technically and political changes that occurred due to globalisation badly effected the idea of gender equality in entire world.
In free market economy, women lives and experiences are very diverse and complicated. It means globalisation is not only an economical change but it has given transnationals companies unlimited authorities and power to make local governments weaker and easily violate basic human rights. Women are the main and easy targets. That’s why in the countries like Pakistan activities in the name of religion, language and nations become burly, aggressive and violent as they are increasing. Their main motive and agenda is undermining women and
minority rights.


But all over the world particularly in Pakistan women movement strongly reacted against this attitude. Form the day of birth of Pakistan till today on the basis of religion and class women movements were is appreciable for in injustice.
Pakistan's founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, said in 1944:
No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you; we are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition in which our women have to live.
After the creation of Pakistan movement of women rights was struggling to bring changes in legislation and eliminate anti women laws. Successful example women struggle is establishment of Muslim personal law 1948; because of this the share of women in heritance was accepted. Just like this in 1961 Muslim family law ordinance was set up according to this women entitled to have legal protection in marriage and divorce. It gave strength to women movement to continue their struggle for empowerment of women.
In the era of Zia -Ul -Haq Islamnzation, movement of women rights had to face critical challenge and such prejudice laws were implemented that women were degraded as human being. But Pakistani women fought bravely again this conspiracy and exposed the injustice being inducted in the name of Islam.
In Pakistan women rights movement were facing problems that the women who were participating in this campaign were from a particular class, poor labour and farmer women were not the powerful part of this movement.
Billions of women were part of working force but unfortunately not
recognized as labour, but with the negation of gender, social and
traditional condemned women raise their voice against not only the laws but share in political, economical and awareness of their rights as well.
Though today when all of us are going through a tough time but a good effort is in front that this movement is now coming out of a particular class and reaching to a common woman of Pakistan and this is the hope of the struggle of a common woman.
(Author is Executive Director Working Women Organization)