Islamabad, March 08 (TNS): International Women’s Day is being observed today to raise awareness against gender bias and to take action for equality.
This year’s theme of the Day is “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”.
Message of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
In his message on the Day, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for redoubling efforts to protect and promote women’s rights, dignity and leadership.
Gender equality and women’s rights are fundamental to global progress on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. We can only re-establish trust in institutions, rebuild global solidarity and reap the benefits of diverse perspectives by challenging historic injustices and promoting the rights and dignity of all.
In recent decades, we have seen remarkable progress on women’s rights and leadership in some areas. But these gains are far from complete or consistent – and they have already sparked a troubling backlash from an entrenched patriarchy.
Gender equality is fundamentally a question of power. We live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture. Only when we see women’s rights as our common objective, a route to change that benefits everyone, will we begin to shift the balance. (Courtesy: UN.ORG)
On International Women`s day being marked today, the international media has strongly denounced the atrocities perpetrated by Indian Forces in Occupied Kashmir and their impacts on the lives of women in the territory.
Al Jazeera reports that the Day is a grim reminder of atrocities and hardships faced by the women of Kashmir in the hands of Indian forces since decades.
In its special feature on Kashmiri women it notes that Women in Kashmir have suffered immensely as Indian brutalities continue. Many have lost their husbands, sons, brothers or fathers and there are thousands of half-widows who remain unaware of their husbands’ whereabouts.
According to another report, the unabated Indian state terrorism rendered thousands of women martyred, widowed, molested, abducted, gang-raped and murdered while many are facing illegal detention.
