Tag: women's rights

  • Why did Aurat March hold a Feminist Press Conference?

    Why did Aurat March hold a Feminist Press Conference?

    This Friday, on March 8, as the world will celebrate Women’s Day, Aurat March will take to the streets in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Multan.

    The Current attended this year’s Aurat March press conference and got details about how this year is different from the ones before.

    Every year, the press conference is dominated by men from media platforms, leaving little or no room for women and transgender journalists to interact with Aurat March members.

    Moreover, coming with preconceived notions and biases, male journalists reportedly have been condescending and aggressive towards Aurat March members who conduct the conference with the aim to explain their manifesto and charter of demands prior to the big day.

    To counter this issue, this year Aurat March decided to hold a Feminist Press Conference.

    The purpose of a Feminist Press Conference was to provide a space to women, transgender, and minorities where they can get a fair chance to not just raise questions in respect to the March, but meaningfully engage with members.

    “This year’s press conference, in comparison to previous ones, was definitely much better,” said one of the representatives (who requested to remain anonymous).

    “Today, we were able to talk about our manifesto, we took questions from the reporters, and the interaction was respectful.”

    The member further denoted that this has never happened before. She explained that in the past, no reporter would come having read Aurat March’s charter of demands and the manifesto and instead, would resort to stereotypical questions.

    “When we would try to counter their queries, they wouldn’t listen to us because they wanted to hear the preconceptions they came with.

    “In fact, we are happy that this year, because the conference was conducted peacefully, we even got suggestions from journalists – which will, of course, help us as well”, she added.

    On Youtubers

    Last year, Youtubers disrupted the press conference, and media journalists stated that they do not consider YouTubers as journalists. “I am glad this year, we talked about [YouTuber disruption] as well”, the members highlighted.

    “The journalist community should think through ways to distance themselves from or critique YouTubers who are badmouthing their profession.”

    Some YouTubers, who attend the March as independent journalists, are known for their alleged misconduct at Aurat March. They have also been called out for spreading disinformation about performances and placards at the marches, and also harassing marchers with irrelevant and demeaning questions.

    This poses a threat to Aurat March members as well as attendees, and above all, the propaganda hinders socio-political awareness that the March intends to raise.

    The irony of today’s feminist press conference was when a YouTuber reached out to Aurat March members, upset for not getting a chance to ask his questions during the session. Well, I hope he realized how women feel when men take up their rightful space.

  • ‘Massive dissapointment’: Malala’s failure to mention genocide in Gaza during lecture has Twitter angry

    ‘Massive dissapointment’: Malala’s failure to mention genocide in Gaza during lecture has Twitter angry

    Girls education activist Malala Yousafzai was selected to give the 21st Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg. In her speech, the Noble Prize Winner spoke at length about the gender apartheid in Afghanistan against women and girls, with no mention of the genocide of Gaza where the death toll has now crossed 15,000 civilians.

    In an interview with The Associated Press, Malala urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, pointing to attention to the countless schools and homes that have been bombarded in the war, and for war criminals to be held accountable.

    Nelson Mandela was a staunch pro-Palestine supporter, who famously said during his visit to Gaza in 1999 that he “felt at home among compatriots”.

    “There is an apartheid state committing a genocide at the moment which you’ve been disappointingly silent on. If you take away anything from this trip, it should be the courage to speak up about what is happening in the here and now,” wrote a user.

    “Ironic that she mentioned apartheid, reason for Mandela’s struggle, yet not a word about Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians, brutal human rights violation and the ongoing genocide. Nothing but just a mouthpiece can’t be my inspiration anymore,” wrote another user.

    “She’s visiting South Africa, a country with apartheid history and she chooses to stay silent on an ongoing genocide. Mandela would have hated her bigotry if he was alive, his resistance was against the same mindset,” said a tweet.

    Previously Malala released a statement on October 10 grieving for the Palestinian and Israeli children who were caught in the war. Many were quick to slam the feminist activist for failing to recognise that this was a genocide where more Palestinian lives were being lost everyday.

    Many have drawn comparisons between Malala’s silence and climate change activist Greta Thunberg’s outspoken resistance against the genocide of Gaza. Greta published an op-ed for The Guardian where she criticised Israel as the death toll grows in Gaza, with more children passing away from Israeli airstrikes.

  • ‘Anti hero’ Taylor Swift sparks outrage for befriending allegedassaulter Jackson Mahomes

    ‘Anti hero’ Taylor Swift sparks outrage for befriending allegedassaulter Jackson Mahomes

    ‘It must be exhausting always rooting for the Anti Hero’? Not for Taylor Swift it seems so.

    Taylor Swift has garnered backlash from fans because of the singer’s silence on the ongoing genocide of Gaza, and several videos showed Israeli fans dancing to the screening of ‘Eras tour’ movie. Now, fans are outraged after the singer who wrote ‘Mad Woman’ was spotted laughing along side the younger brother of NFL player Patrick Mahomes, Jackson Mahomes, who is accused of sexual assault.

    A twitter thread by a Swiftie, detailing the charges filed against Jackson, who was seen in a video grabbing a woman and forcibly kissing her, is going viral. Jackson was arrested and charged with three counts of sexual battery and misdemeanour. But he was released on $100,000 bail.

    The thread further revealed reports that alleged Jackson had tried to bribe the victim to force her to withdraw the case, which had attracted further outrage.

    Taylor Swift attended a football game where her boyfriend Travis Kelce was playing, and several videos showed her high fiving Jackson, attracting intense backlash. Many criticised the singer as a hypocrite, for speaking up against sexual assault and rape but refusing to defend others who do the same thing.

    Swifties were also taken aback when Taylor’s best friend and wife to Patrick, Brittany Mahomes, defended her brother-in-law in an Instagram story by writing “He’s just a human trying to live his own life”, when a fan asked her about the sexual assault allegations.

    Many slammed Taylor Swift for failing to live up to her political beliefs and the feminist stance she had reaffirmed with songs like ‘Dear John’, ‘All Too Well’ or ‘Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve’ where Taylor has publicly discussed surviving abusive relationships and sexual harassment.

    Others were shocked that Taylor continued to remain silent about her friendship with Brittany Mahomes, when she was named as Time Magazine’s Silence Breakers in the 2017 issue, when the singer had gone to court after her abuser sued her.

    The Boycott, Divest Sanctions Movement (BDS) also called out Taylor Swift and Beyonce for allowing their films to play in an apartheid state where the genocide of Gaza is still going on. On their official Instagram account, the movement acknowledged that the two singers had refused multiple offers to play in Israel, but urged them to pull their films and music from playing in the country.

  • Pakistani shepherdess, midwife make it to BBC’s top 100 women list

    Pakistani shepherdess, midwife make it to BBC’s top 100 women list

    Two Pakistani women have been included into the BBC’s list of this year’s top 100 inspiring and influential women. The list highlights women who became trailblazers in their field and worked to spread awareness about issues like climate change, political instability and natural disasters. Among the list are famous Muslim figures like lawyer Amal Clooney, Pakistani Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Iraqi-American beauty mogul Huda Kattan.

    The first Pakistani woman included in the list is Afroze-Numa, one of the last Wakkhi shepherdess who has taken care of goats, yack and sheep for over three decades.

    “Having learnt the trade from her mother and grandmothers,” the BBC description reads, “she is part of a centuries-old tradition that is now dying out in Pakistan’s Shimla valley.”

    “Every year these shepherdesses take their flocks to pastures 4,800m (16,000ft) above sea level, where they prepare dairy products to barter, while their animals feed.

    Their income has brought the village prosperity and allowed them to provide an education for their children. Afroze-Numa still fondly remembers being the first woman in the valley to own a pair of shoes.”

    The second Pakistani woman included in the list is Neha Mankani, a midwife who travelled to flood-affected areas in order to provide life-saving birthing kits and midwifery care to mothers and their babies.

    “Her typical practice focuses on low-resourced settings, emergency response and climate-affected communities,” the BBC said, adding that Mama Baby Fund has now raised enough money to launch a boat ambulance that will transport pregnant women living in coastal communities to nearby hospitals and clinics for urgent treatment.

    Taking to Instagram to share the post, Mankani wrote she was honoured to receive the acknowledgement from BBC.

    “Really honoured to be on the @bbc100women list this year as a climate hero, celebrating the important role of midwives in climate emergencies and highlighting my work with @mamababyfund in last year’s floods and in the climate affected island communities of Karachi. Head over to @bbc100women to read about all the really amazing women highlighted this year”

  • ‘Do takkay ki larki’ ka yeh matlab nahi’: Adnan Siddiqui defends controversial dialogue from Mere Pass Tum Ho

    ‘Do takkay ki larki’ ka yeh matlab nahi’: Adnan Siddiqui defends controversial dialogue from Mere Pass Tum Ho

    Adnan Siddiqui appeared on a recent episode of Ahmed Ali Butt’s podcast ‘Excuse Me’ where he addressed his role in the controversial drama ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ and the dialogue ‘do takkay ki larki’ which sparked intense outrage from women in Pakistan.

    Butt revealed that he had a conversation with the writer Khalil ul Rehman about the line, to which the writer had responded that he used the word ‘larki’ for one woman. Siddiqui pointed out it was solely directed towards the female character Mehwish (played by Ayeza Khan) rather than a generalisation of all women. He further stressed that audiences should contextualise the dialogue within the drama.

    “Mehwish and Shehwaar were both equally blamed for this. Danish, who was deeply in love with his wife, sacrificed a lot for her happiness and was madly in love with her. When he discovered the affair he was outraged, which led to the dialogue. In his rage, he couldn’t use a slur because he’s a man of culture. So this was his slur. Let’s stick to that scenario because that dialogue was solely meant for Mehwish and not all women of Pakistan.”

    The host behind reality TV series ‘Tamasha’ urged audiences not to conflate characters to real-life people, pointing out that the characters in the story line were not a reflection of reality.

  • TW: Policeman sets his 14-year-old wife on fire over dowry

    TW: Policeman sets his 14-year-old wife on fire over dowry

    TRIGGER WARNING: abuse, domestic violence

    A 14-year-old girl married to a policeman in Sialkot has been set on fire after her husband became unhappy with the dowry provided to him.

    According to the complaint filed with the Sialkot police by labourer Tariq Mahmood, his daughter Muneeb Fatima, was married to Constable Waqas Nazir, who was posted at the Satrah Police Station, of Pasrur Tehsil. The marriage took place five months ago, however , when he went to visit their home, he was told by his daughter’s in-laws that she was happy and did not want to meet him.

    Speaking to DAWN, Mahmood elaborated that when Fatima came back to visit him after five months, she revealed details of torture, including being burnt by a clothing iron and being kept in chains.

    Mahmood further reported that his daughter was set on fire by her husband after he sprinkled petrol on her. When the labourer confronted Waqas, he was shot at and given death threats.

    Mahmood said his daughter was tortured by both her husband and his sister, Sadaf.

    Muneeb Fatima is receiving treatment at Tehsil Headquaters Hospital, Pasrur.

    The abuser, according to Dawn, made calls to a journalist and threatened to have him killed. The police, under the orders of the DPO, made several threatening calls to the journalist.

    According to the a spokesperson for the Sialkot district police, Waqas Nazir has been suspended by the DPO, while an inquiry has been launched against him.

  • Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    In a rare occurrence, Afghan women took to the streets in Kabul to protest another draconian law imposed on the demographic by the ruling Taliban. Earlier this month, the Taliban banned women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan, another decisive step in slashing women’s rights in the country. 

    Women shouted “work, bread and justice” while they were gathered in the capital city, Kabul. Around 50 women took part in the protest on Wednesday, BBC reports. Security forces dispersed the demonstration by using fire hoses, tasers, and shooting their guns into the air. Some protestors told Al-Jazeera that stun guns were also used against them.

    The Taliban have given beauty parlours one month from the 2nd of July to shut down operations completely, and the order has been sent across the country. According to BBC, they said the wearing of wigs and the practice of eyebrow-plucking were against Islamic values, further stating that beauty parlours are a ‘waste of money’ when couples are getting married. 

    The closure of all beauty salons will lead to the loss of 60,000 jobs, Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce said. 

    Women’s rights and access to public spaces have been systematically struck down since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghan women were already barred from attending secondary school and college, from entering gyms or parks, and now they are unable to continue their predominantly female-run beauty parlour businesses.

    The Taliban continue to impose restrictions on women, despite widespread international condemnation. They have prohibited women from working for the United Nations (UN), in spite of the UN having a commission in Kabul.

    There have been minor sporadic protests against measures introduced by the Taliban, but any form of dissent is being crushed, BBC reports.

  • Police arrest suspect behind rape at Islamabad’s Margalla hill hiking trail 

    Police arrest suspect behind rape at Islamabad’s Margalla hill hiking trail 

    Islamabad police have on Sunday arrested the suspect involved in the alleged rape of a woman that took place on trail 3 of the capital’s Margalla Hills.

    Last week Friday, the Islamabad police registered a first information report (FIR) after a woman complained that a man had lured her with a job prospect before raping her at gunpoint on Thursday afternoon. 

    According to the FIR, the complainant had been looking for a job and received a message via WhatsApp from a person around two months ago, Dawn reports.

    “He told me he was an accountant in the education department, where some vacancies were available,” the victim is quoted as saying in the FIR. In return for a job, the man asked for Rs50,000. 

    After some correspondence, where the victim met the suspect and provided him with her curriculum vitae and Rs30,000, saying she would pay the remaining 20,000 once she received a written order of employment.

    Under the guise of picking up the victim for a job interview, the suspect drove her to Margalla Hills’ trail 3, where the victim said she was taken to the jungle and raped at gunpoint around 3pm. 

    In a statement issued on Sunday, the Islamabad Police said it was successful in arresting the suspect after a three-day effort, adding that they arrested the man on ‘technical bases’, claiming the victim was not assisting the police in the investigation. 

    Statement issued by Islamabad Police via Twitter.

    Moreover, they said that the investigation is taking place ‘on merit’, citing the victim’s medical report in which apparently no evidence of abuse was found. 

    Furthermore, the statement reveals the complainant and the accused knew each other. However, Islamabad Police asserted that all aspects of the case will be investigated.

  • ‘Domestic violence is not a personal issue’: Social media slams Ushna Shah for justifying support for Feroze Khan

    Actor Ushna Shah has been in hot waters in the past few days after she shared a picture of herself with controversial actor Feroze Khan at a gym on Instagram. She quoted a hadith that called for Ramzan to be a month of mercy and forgiveness. In her next post, she recalled the death of controversial televangelist Amir Liaqat, and asked her followers not to pass quick judgement that could lead to people committing irreversible acts.

    Feroze Khan has been accused of domestic violence and neglect by his former wife Aliza Sultan. The two divorced in 2022, after multiple celebrities including Oscar winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and actor Sarwat Gilani rallied behind her.

    In November, Feroze Khan was criticized for leaking the personal phone numbers and home addresses of ten celebrities -including Mira Sethi, Osman Khalid Butt and Yasir Hussain- who had declared that they would take action by suing Khan for emotional and mental trauma.

    On Saturday, Shah once more defended her stance by sharing a detailed statement on Twitter, where she called herself a “human sympathizer” rather than an “abuser sympathizer”.

    Shah went on to reveal that as someone who became the target of unfair bullying, like the backlash to her Indian lehnga that Shah wore on her Mehndi, she didn’t think that social media users should abuse a person and their families for something they “allegedly did”.

    “The backlash at my choice to wear the supposed ‘Indian style lehnga’ and dance at my own wedding, was prime example. So when hundreds and thousands of people abuse a person for whatever they allegedly did and abuse their families relentlessly, day and night, non-stop, I know what that can do and it isn’t fair punishment.”

    https://twitter.com/ushnashah/status/1644702178458710017?s=20

    Shah’s statement has received extensive backlash on social media for refusing to recognize how problematic her stance to support Khan is, and for being an abuse apologist.

    One Twitter user wrote:

    “Sympathizing with a human who is an alleged abuser/involved in domestic violence is basically being an abuser apologist. “even if the alleged criminal was found guilty” so u r telling me that a guilty criminal shouldnt have to face the consequences. also what even’s w the lehnaga.”

    “Pakistani celebrities are hypocrites,” another user wrote.

    https://twitter.com/peesho444/status/1644992794442993665?s=20

    “Why is it always ”let’s forgive abuser Muslim m3n because it’s Ramzan”, that man has literally brutalized his wife, you are not only a domestic violence apologist but a traitor to your own women class, using your privilege to disregard the voices of numerous DV women victims,” another user wrote.

    https://twitter.com/auratsoch/status/1644970742549819393?s=20
  • Prisoners in Pakistan exposed to diseases in overcrowded jails: HRW

    Prisoners in Pakistan exposed to diseases in overcrowded jails: HRW

    According to a report released by Human Rights Watch, Pakistani authorities have systematically deprived prisoners of adequate health care, leaving thousands at risk of disease and death.

    The report, titled “A Nightmare for Everyone: The Health Care Crisis in Pakistan’s Prisons,” highlights the widespread deficiencies in prison health care in Pakistan and the impact on a total prison population of over 88,000 people. Outdated and discriminatory bail laws have contributed to severe overcrowding, with most prisoners still awaiting trial or conviction.

    Pakistan’s prison system is one of the world’s most overcrowded, with cells designed for a maximum of three people holding up to 15. This overcrowding has compounded existing healthcare deficiencies, leaving inmates vulnerable to communicable diseases and unable to obtain even basic health care, let alone emergency medical treatment.

    Human Rights Watch interviewed 54 people, including former inmates, lawyers, prison health officials, and advocacy organizations working on prisoner rights, and found that the principal cause of overcrowding is the dysfunctional criminal justice system itself. Most inmates are under trial and have yet to be convicted, and the majority facing criminal trials are poor and lack access to legal aid.

    The crisis in prison health care reflects deeper failures in access to health care across Pakistan, exacerbated most recently by an economic crisis. Corruption among prison officials and impunity for abusive conduct contribute to serious human rights abuses.

    The report calls for urgent, systemic reform of Pakistan’s prison system, including changing bail laws, expediting the trial process, and prioritizing noncustodial sentences to reduce overcrowding. Pakistani governments at the federal and provincial levels should urgently adopt measures to bring health care in its jails and prisons in line with international standards, such as the Nelson Mandela Rules.