Pakistan Catholic Women's Organization celebrated international women's Day with the support of St. Mary's High School, Lahpre

Lahore, Pakistan: March 30, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)



Theme: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities and Progress for all

Pakistan Catholic Women’s Organization celebrated international women’s Day with the support of St. Mary’s High School on 12th March 2010. The theme was “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities and Progress for all”.  The 70 people from school staff and young attended that event.

Mrs. Shahbnum Pervaiz (CWO member) introduced PCWO staff (Ms. Rosemary Noel National Coordinator, Ms. Shaheen Yousaf Diocesan Coordinator Lahore) and shared the background of the international women’s Day and said that event originated in 1908 in New York City, women garment makers demanded better working conditions in the company. Those Women used to work in poor working conditions and earned half wages as compared to men. They did not have the right to vote. In 1910, an international conference of women determined that each year a day should be set aside to press for women's demands and International Women’s Day stands for equality between women and men. That day was marked for women‘s struggle and remembered the battles for a long fought to build a society that is fair to all its members in a society in which diversity, tolerance, safety, social justice and social equality between women and men. Women celebrated that day to come to know the ground realities what they have done and what they can do.

Ms. Rosemary Noel shared her views on women situation in Pakistan that women play an important role in development of the country but still we could not see them in mainstream due to poverty, lack of education, less opportunities to come forward and discriminatory laws and customary practices. The woman of Pakistan face discrimination from her childhood because nobody celebrates her birth in the family like they do for boy, they are given the left over food, not prefer to get education and they are handed over in marriage without their consent. All these challenges keep them behind in all fields of life. She highlighted that our government and state organs introduced different discriminatory laws to define the status of the women which devalued their dignity and identity in the society.

 They concluded that if we wanted to see a peaceful and developed country, we should be provided with equal rights and equal opportunities to women and involve them in decision making process at all level and demand the repeal of all discriminatory laws and customary forms.Babu Yousaf Sardar thanked CWO staff and encouraged them to continue such activities to enhance the capacity and uplift our Christian women and girls in the society.