PUSH Demands Practical Measure for Protection of Women's Rights

Online, March 8, 2010 (Newswire.com) - PUSH (Press United to Serve Humanity) Demands Practical Measure for Protection of Women's Rights

ISLAMABAD: March 8th declared as International Women's Day, a day designated to celebrate the economic, social, and political achievements of women throughout the world. The day is celebrated the world over including Pakistan vowing to strive for the protection of women rights and applaud women's efforts and achievements in this regards. Though the government of Pakistan has taken some steps to ameliorate the status of women and protect their rights, the physical and sexual violence, honour killings, forced marriages and structural inequalities galore in Pakistan.

Press United to Serve Humanity (PUSH), a Pakistan-based non-profit, non-governmental, and non-sectarian consortium of journalists working for freedom of press and protection of human rights while celebrating Women's Day demands the implementation of laws for protection of women rights, in letter and spirit. In a statement issued here PUSH said that despite claims discrimination against women still continues to haunt the fairer sex.

A recent report by Human Rights Commission on the eve of Women's day carries some horrific statistics about women rights violations throughout Pakistan. According to the report during last five years 9670 women were killed only in Punjab for honour killings and property issues.

Of these 1638 women were killed by immediate relatives including husbands, brothers, fathers and other close ones. About 8041 women were killed for property and settling other such issues. About 3379 women were killed for not bringing dowry with them, besides for asking their rights. They were either killed by setting them on fire or by acid throwing. While hundreds of women who are facing Karo kari, other such honour killings and infamous Hudood Ordinance charges in the jails of the country are still to be heard. The situation is the same through out Pakistan.

Though recently Pakistani women had struggled for passage of women protection bill from the assembly and they have succeeded to some extent however opposition from some religious quarters is creating hurdles in the way of its implementation.

PUSH Pakistan salutes women throughout the world and specially Pakistan for their struggle for attainment of their rights and demands the government to come up with practical measures for their protection instead of rhetoric.

About PUSH:

Press United to Serve Humanity (PUSH) is a Pakistan-based non-profit, non-governmental, and non-sectarian consortium of journalists from the print, electronic and online media; that support freedom of the press and desire to offer their time, talents, and skills in selfless and meaningful way to serve the mankind through creating mass awareness.

Supported by the PFUJ (Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists), PUSH is determined to work together with other like-minded civil society organizations, media groups, activists and concern citizens worldwide by publicizing their news stories to global attention and to mobilize action for the implementation of the UN Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For more details, please visit: http://push.pk or send email to: [email protected]