Enunciating her party's position on the occasion of the commemoration of International Women's Day, Sherry Rehman said her party has made no distinction between human rights and women's rights, because that was the mission of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
The Shaheed leader stood to uphold the cause of women's empowerment and gender equality. "All through 40 years' struggle, the party has promoted gender equality. And as ever my party remains committed to Benazir Bhutto's mission of building a modern, forward looking Pakistan where men and women have equal access to health, education, political space, as well as fruits of economy and development", Sherry reiterated.
Speaking of Benazir Bhutto's two stints of government, Sherry illustrated her record of achievements for women's empowerment, and pro-women agenda, by saying that she set up the human rights ministry to watch and investigate human rights abuses, and also ratified the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), in 1996.
This convention is a benchmark for human rights activists in measuring government performance in this area, Sherry Rehman reiterated. Rehman said the PPP government was on the verge of moving the Domestic Violence Bill, as well initiating the process of dismantling the Hudood Ordinances, in 1996, abolishing whipping as a punishment.
The PPP leader, representing PPP in the National Assembly on women's seat, also recalled that Benazir Bhutto ordered the release of women booked under the Hudood laws and sought their rehabilitation, and set up the National Commission on the Status of Women under Nasir Aslam Zahid.
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