Dissent

The story of women 's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights. Gloria Steinem Also read: Pakistan’s ranking among happiest nationsimproves Top 7 Pakistani Drama Songs 2018-2020 Olympics 2020: Postponed until 2021 Lollywood 2020: Top 10 films to bereleased Putin offers to send medical personnel& equipment to help Italy contain coronavirus outbreak Why Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan?

She sat out the anthem in protest. Her teacher said ‘go back to your country,’ students say. The students were assembled in the auditorium of their high school on Chicago’s North Side, there to celebrate Hispanic heritage — but first, their teachers told them, they had to stand for the national anthem. A group of students, who thought the request unusual, decided to remain seated. It was a silent but recognizable condemnation of racial injustice. Yet, before the anthem had even ended, they said, their demonstration made them the target of just the sort of discrimination they were protesting. When one student — a Latina and U.S. citizen — refused a teacher’s pointed direction to stand, she said he replied with an infamously racist line: “Go back to your country.” The same teacher turned to a black student, who was also sitting down, and asked whether she was part of the public school system’s free and reduced lunch program, telling her she should stand for the people w...

Blast near Quetta Press Club claims 7 lives, leaves 21 injured .   According to Dawn News, Two policemen were among the seven victims of an explosion that occurred near the Quetta Press Club located on Shahrah-i-Adalat on Monday, confirmed Quetta Deputy Inspector General Abdul Razzaq Cheema. According to Cheema, 21 others have also been injured in the incident. He added that so far, the blast "seems to be a suicide attack". The blast took place as a demonstration was ongoing near the press club. Several vehicles parked in the vicinity have also been damaged due to the impact of the blast. Security personnel have cordoned off the area and are conducting a search operation. Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan directed the IGP to submit a report within the next 24 hours. In a statement, the governor maintained that "measures should be taken to foil the nefarious designs of militants", adding that law enforcement agencies ...

IHC bans corporal punishment for children at schools The Islamabad High Court on Thursday suspended till further notice a section of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) that allows for the use of corporal punishment by parents, guardians and teachers "in good faith for the benefit". A petition in the IHC, submitted by singer and rights activist Shehzad Roy, called for a ban on use of violence as a means to discipline children in school. In his petition, Roy argued that  Section 89 of the PPC  allows for use of violence and force against children. "Last year, a child passed away because of the use of corporal punishment in a school in Lahore," Roy's lawyer told the court while adding that the matter of abolishing the use of corporal punishment was of public interest. The lawyer, while explaining the reason for Roy's interest in the matter, said that the singer-turned-activist has established an organisation for educational reforms. ...

Death anniversary  of eminent human rights activist and lawyer  Asma Jahangir  is being observed on Tuesday. Born and raised in Lahore,  Asma Jahangir  was known for playing a prominent role in the Lawyers' Movement and served as the United NationsSpecial Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and as a Trustee at theInternational Crisis Group. She was imprisoned in 1983 for participating in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy against the military regime of Zia-ul-Haq. In 1986, she moved to Geneva, and became the Vice-Chair of the Defence for Children International. Asma Jahangir  received several awards including Right Livelihood Award, Freedom Award, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Ramon Magsaysay Award, Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders and the UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the Promotion of a Culture of Human Rights. She was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest degree of service to the state, and for ...

I don't want to be associated with such second-rate women: Khalilur Rehman Qamar By  Adnan Lodhi KARACHI  :  Khalilur Rehman Qamar, the writer and director of  Meray Paas Tum Ho,  recently became subject to second marriage rumours with TV actor Eshal Fayaz. Speculations regarding their relationship surfaced the internet three days ago,  in response to which the latter uploaded a video denying all such claims. “There is no truth in the rumours that are doing rounds since yesterday. I haven’t gotten married to anyone, I am very much single,’’ Fayaz said. The actor added diligently, “My relationship with Khalil ur Rehman Qamar is that of one between an actor and a director, nothing more than that.” Fayaz further specified that no one has the right to spread fake news about anyone without knowing them and she would announce her marriage plans herself when need be. In a conversation with  The E...

"Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression."    Margaret Sanger #womenempowerment  #Genderequality

Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. To ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality. Gender equality requires equal enjoyment by women and men of socially-valued goods, opportunities, resources and rewards. Where gender inequality exists, it is generally women who are excluded or disadvantaged in relation to decision-making and access to economic and social resources. Therefore a critical aspect of promoting gender equality is the empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and redressing power imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. Gender equality does not mean that men and women become the same; only that access to opportunities and life changes is neither dependent on, nor constrained by, their sex. Achieving gender equality requires wome...

“Women Empowerment Reminder of The Day. Always respect yourself as a woman. You attract what you are, so be very mindful of how you’re representing yourself. If you want respect, you must first learn how to respect yourself, first. Attracting negative attention is never a good thing. Be a woman of substance! Be a woman that both women and men respect, admire, and look up to. Don’t disrespect yourself by lowering your standards and accepting just anything that comes your way. It’s okay to be single! If you want a relationship of substance, you can’t keep entertaining people and things that mean you no good. Think about it! It’s all up to you.”

Women empowerment has become the buzzword today with women working alongside men in all spheres. They profess an independent outlook, whether they are living inside their home or working outside. They are increasingly gaining control over their lives and taking their own decisions with regard to their education, career, profession and lifestyle. With steady increase in the number of working women, they have gained financial independence, which has given them confidence to lead their own lives and build their own identity. They are successfully taking up diverse professions to prove that they are second to none in any respect. But while doing so, women also take care to strike a balance between their commitment to their profession as well as their home and family. They are playing multiple roles of a mother, daughter, sister, wife and a working professional with remarkable harmony and ease.   With equal opportunities to work, they are functioning with a spirit of team ...

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Rabia* is applying to be admitted to a prestigious medical school in Karachi. Aside from the usual paperwork for admission, she must also submit an affidavit to the university administration declaring that she will not partake in any political activity on the campus. Known among students as the ‘non-political’ affidavit, this is an oath signed by the student to use the premises for studying only and not for politicking. Rabia’s father also has to sign the same affidavit, turning it into a joint declaration that in case she gets involved in any political activity in the varsity, she may be “immediately expelled”. If Rabia were to violate the non-political undertaking in future, she would face a number of adverse disciplinary actions. These range from temporary suspension of the student for a week, during which the student is not be allowed to enter campus premises temporarily, to rustication or permanent expulsion from the institute. “The nature of the action is subject to the sev...

What are women’s human rights? Women’s rights are the fundamental human rights that were enshrined by the United Nations for every human being on the planet nearly 70 years ago. These rights include the right to live free from violence, slavery, and discrimination; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn a fair and equal wage. As the now-famous saying goes, “women’s rights are human rights.” That is to say, women are entitled to all of these rights. Yet almost everywhere around the world, women and girls are still denied them, often simply because of their gender. Winning rights for women is about more than giving opportunities to any individual woman or girl; it is also about changing how countries and communities work. It involves changing laws and policies, winning hearts and minds, and investing in strong women’s organizations and movements. Global Fund for Women exists to support the tireless and courageous efforts of women’s groups who work every d...