Women's Day rituals

Why do we celebrate 'Women's Day' every year? Such anniversaries cannot change the social attitudes. It is just another day of suppression and torture despite the claims of their emancipation. These seminars and conferences are fashionable occasions to deliver grand speeches.
The woman was never considered an important issue because as a gender she also has little respect in the community. They were never given equal status in our society.
The South Asian subcontinent is considered the least gender sensitive region for women in the world. Her liberty was restricted in the name of modesty, protection and prevention of immoral activity.
They face injustice and harassment at workplaces. Sixty percent of women, who have experienced harassment, suffer post-traumatic stress, disorder, depression and guilt effects. The exploitation and harassment of working women are to be seen in buses and at work places.
Some glimpses of what has been published in newspapers, I want to present here: a man shot dead his spouse for her alleged illicit relations with another person.
A woman narrated her tale: "I could not concentrate, had attacks and gave up working. Even people walking on the road seem sinister. I was convinced they wanted to hurt me. I could not even tell my husband. Maybe it was my fault that all this happened, that's why I tried not to stand next to anyone".
Inhabitants of Gazdarabad: The only government healthcare facility in their thickly populated area had no gynecologist. "Babies are delivered by ayahs and at times even they are not available". An intermediate student said area women exposed to complications are often transported to other major hospitals and at times even lose their lives on the way.
She said arranging transportation was an additional burden on the pockets of people with insufficient incomes to meet other essential requirements. Another woman narrated (her husband is dead): "I had children to feed and had no other source of income and nobody helped me. Now, when I am re-married, the family members do not let me live in peace, either. They keep taunting me in one way or the other.

Another case: Two women were killed in firing in Uch Sharif village. Rivals came and opened indiscriminate firing resulting in the instant death of two women. The reason of firing is said to be old enmity.
These incidents are existing in our society and perhaps will remain so. These women are not alone in this struggle. There is an unending list of this poor lot, facing the indirect brunt of violence.
Equality in treatment and opportunity in employment and occupation is still not within her reach. The concept of equality in employment does not mean that men and women are identical; equality does not mean sameness. It is recognised that they have different needs. These differences need to be taken into account in order to promote equality effectively.
The plight of women in Pakistan is basically due to two major problems in the legal system; weak or no enforcement of law and acceptance of these by the locals, who give more importance to their local legal system? Here, men need to understand that women are actually humans, who must enjoy same rights. Violence against women - whether sexual, physical or psychological - affects all branches of society, regardless of the woman's marital status or her level of education or employment.
The violence victims, women and children, both are exploited through excessive media attention, unnecessary interviews or exposure in demonstrations where they are used as symbols to highlight the cause.
In comparison with past governments, the present government has taken some initiative to raise the status of women in Pakistan. Their representation in parliament and city governments has increased. They were posted as Vice Chancellors, Governor of State Bank. The doors in military and civil services have been opened for them. With lot of difficulty, government has passed a bill to protect the rights of women. But the status of women is still not satisfactory and there is need to take revolutionary steps in favour of women. There is still a lot to be done. Pakistani woman should be a proud woman, equal to women in developed countries.
A country has no future with a huge population of uneducated, unhealthy and battered women. The government and civil society should immediately take measures to rectify the present situation on emergency basis.