Daily Times

LAHORE: The Feminist Collective and the Punjab Institute of Languages and Culture (PILAC) on Sunday jointly organised a thought-provoking event titled ‘Sham-e-Niswan 2018’ at the Punjabi Complex in connection with upcoming International Women’s Day to pay tribute to late human rights activist Asma Jahangir and all those women who stand up to oppression.

The event was aimed at celebrating the struggle and resistance put up by women over the past year for protection of women’s rights.

Participants highlighted several women-related topics in their speeches, musical performances, drama, art and poetry. A good number of people, including students, filmmakers, artists, intellectuals, poets and representatives of transgender community attended the event. PILAC Director General Dr Sughra Sadaf also joined the evening.

On the occasion, special stalls of readymade garments, jewellery, handbags and other items were set up for visitors.

Talking to Daily Times, Saleha Rauf, a founding member of the Feminist Collective, said: “The purpose of the evening was to celebrate the struggle of women against decimation.” She vowed to continue her struggle for protection of women’s rights in future.

“We will eliminate all those conflicts that are hindering women empowerment,” she said, adding that the Feminist Collective had been arranging such events for more than last two years to recognise the efforts and services of all women who raised their voice for women empowerment.

Film director Akifa Mian, who made a documentary on the life of late human rights activist Asma Jahangir, said it was not an easy task for her to make a documentary on Asma in a short span. “I tried my best to present something on the request of my colleagues.”

She added, “International Women’s Day would be meaningless without acknowledging the struggle of human rights warrior Asma Jahangir. No one has done more work on human rights like Asma did.”

Published in Daily Times, March 5^th 2018.