PAKISTAN

National Women Day

Solidarity from Aima Mahmood, WWO Secretary

The Working Women Organisation (WWO) celebrated Pakistan’s National Women Day on 12 February at Sialkot to campaign against laws that discriminate against women. Women from all walks of life, especially brick kilns, agriculture, informal, and formal sectors participated.

National Women Day was established in 1983 when the Martial Law Government under Zia-ul-Haq formulated laws such as Hudood Ordinance, Qisas and Diyet, and the Law of Evidence, all of which are against women, violating their freedom and humanitarian rights.

On 12 February 1983 women of Pakistan held the first demonstration on the main street of Lahore to present their demands to the Chief Justice of the High Court. But using the Martial Law, police charged towards the women beating them and using tear gas ruthlessly. Hundreds of women were injured and eleven of them were arrested.

Every year since then this day is when Pakistani women celebrate the struggle to eliminate discriminatory laws against women.