By TwoCircles.net special correspondent,
Ahmedabad: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind(Women’s wing), Gujarat, organized a statewide women’s campaign “Aapnu Abhiyan,Nari Sanman”(The March Towards Dignity) last week.
During the week-long campaign, public meetings, symposiums and rallies were organized at different places in the state including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Vijapur, Junagadh, Modasa, Bhuj, Patan, Dhori, Himmatnagar, Lamadia, Idar Dasaj, Panvad, Chhotaudepur and Vapi.
The state level programme held by the women’s wing for the first time in the state focused on restoring women’s right and their status in the society which according to JIH women activists had suffered adversely owing to various factors in the society.
The programme concluded with a state level symposium at Ahmedabad Town Hall on Sunday last which was attended by women experts from different walks of life.
Speaking on the occasion, Atiya Siddiqua, all India in-charge of JIH(Women’s wing), said that despite great advancement in the field of science and technology, exploitation of women was continuing ceaselessly. This was not restricted to non-Muslim societies but in the Muslim society as well though a degree lesser that other societies. This happened because of lack of fear of God among people and the only solution to end the atrocities against women was to promote the fear of God.
Vice-principal of RJ Treberwal Commerce College at Ahmedabad Mehrunnisa Desai said that empowerment of women was possible only if the rights given in religious laws or constitutional laws were given to them in real sense of the word.
“So far, laws are only on paper. These need to be implemented. Women need to be given their economic, social and political rights to make them strong and improve their position in the society’’, she said.
She said that wearing of scanty clothes by women and baring their bodies in Miss World and Miss Universe competitions did not amount to liberation of women but it reflected the worst form of commercialization and exploitation of women. It amounted to bringing down the dignity of women and her status in the society.
Director of Self-Employed Women’s Association(SEWA) Reema Nanavaty spoke on economic empowerment of women and exemplified through the work being done by her world renowned organization in making women economically independent.
Secretary of JIH(women’s wing), Gujarat, Arifa Parveen, spoke on women’s position in the society, her natural and duties to build a healthy society.
Campaign convener Dr. Fatima Tanveer, speaking about the aims and objectives of the campaign, expressed concern over the declining women’s population in India and said that Gujarat was among the few states having lowest female population.
Giving statistics, she said that against national sex ration of 933 females per 1000 males, it was 921 for 1000 males in Gujarat as per 2001 census. She said that this was due to selective abortion of girl child and this was a very dangerous trend.
She appealed government and non-governmental organizations to come forward and create an awareness against declining sex ratio.
She also appealed the people, particularly parents to give justice by giving their daughters their full share in their property as per their personal or religious laws or as per provisions contained in Indian Constitutional laws in societies where religious laws lack provisions for women’s right to own property. She said it will be of great help in economic empowerment of women.