March 8th International Women’s Day: Women workers pledge to fight for gender parity
b APTUF ALL PAKISTAN TRADE UNION FEDERATION, 27 march 2016
The working class of Pakistan, under the banner of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation hold a rally on March 8th International Women’s Day from Lahore Press Club to Laxmi Chowk.
A rally led by Rubina Jamil, General Secretary APTUF, Anwer Gujjar, President, Shabbir Shah, Vice President APTUF, Khalida Ashraf, Secretary Women Wing. A great enthusiaism showed during the rally in which hundreds of women and men participated, hold play cards and chanted slogans,” Long live International Women’s Day “ We fight Till Gender Parity”, “Women’s rights are equal right”, “We want equal right at work place”, Implement ILO Convention 100 (Equal remuneration for equal work),” Women struggle to end Gender Parity,” our struggle to end violence”, Our struggle will continue Till the victory”.’ No more bonded labour”.
While speaking on the day Rubina Jamil, General Secretary APTUF, President All Pakistan Workers Confederation said that today we are here to salute those women started struggle in USA in Garment Industry, we red salute to Clara Zetkin, a German Socialist and also salute to women workers in Garment industry, they started their struggle for equal rights, against discrimination and equal wages, I salute to women all around the world still fighting for equal rights and breaking the chains.
She said that eventhough the 51% of Pakistan’s population will continue to suffer from discrimination, violence and inequality and the centuries passed away but still women have been fighting for their equal rights, it was written in the manifesto of every political party that equal rights should be given to the women, but shame on that leaders of Feudalistic and Patriarchal mindset claiming that they are the champions of human rights, including the ruling elite not in favor of equal rights, why they are not giving the rights to women workers, because they are capitalist, having big factories, they are land owners, brick kiln owners, they do not want to give the rights to women working in factories, brick kilns, in agriculture sector and women working as home based workers in Pakistan. I must tell u that centuries and centuries ago, and still we are fighting for decent wages, for equal rights, for dignity and to end violence.
She said that women are still suffered in honor killing. According to Human Right Commission of Pakistan statistics shown that 1000 cases of honor killing were reported in 2014, in which many cases going unreported. She further narrated that together with the unity of all women in Pakistan the women’s movement which is our movement and we publically opposed the unjust rulings passed under the Hudood Ordinance during dictatorship period.
Let me share our some achievements which we got after a long struggle and succeeded to enabled women bills such as Bill against Sexual Harassment, the Status of Women Bill and regulations condemning honour killings and other vices faced by women the Criminal Law Amendment Act (2004),the women protection Act..
It is a result of our united struggle that the Punjab assembly unanimously passed the Women Protection bill on February 25, 2016.
Sill there is a long way to aware women about the bills, the procedure to launch FIR against the culprits, encourage effected women to move forwards against all kinds of violence and break all the chains and be liberated from the clutches of capitalist, imperialist. It is a need of the time to build up the unity of working class women and men and together with united struggle we will able to change the system.
At the end women and men workers chanted slogans to implement labour laws, no to sexual harassment and gender discrimination at workplace.
ALL PAKISTAN TRADE UNION FEDERATION
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14-N, Industrial Area, Gulberg II,
Lahore Pakistan
Tel: 92-42-5755078/9 Fax: 92-42-5410214
Email: struggle0881@yahoo.com
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