Speakers at a conference on 'Women and Media Challenges and Opportunities' organised by South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) on Friday said that organisation intended to become a mass media body of women to fight for the rights of women journalists.
"It should strive for building a broader network of women journalists in South Asia and also for all working women in Pakistan", they emphasised. The seminar was chaired by the Resident Editor, Daily Business Recorder, Lahore, Saida Fazal while renowned women activist Tahira Mazhar Ali was the chief guest.
The speakers regretted that the religious clerics got offended on hearing demands for women's rights while attitude of the so-called liberals was also lukewarm while defending the rights of women both at homes and in the society.
Speaking on the occasion Tahira Mazhar Ali said that women are playing an important role in the media but in her view they can play a more important role as social workers, especially in the time of conflicts. She appreciated the women's struggle for their rights both during democratic and dictatorial regimes.
She also criticised the religious parties for condemning the United States now and said they were part of the so called Jihad led by America in Afghanistan in late 70s. She also criticised the governments of Third World Muslim countries that they start Jihad and the so-called war on terror on the dictation of United States. She stressed the need to create awareness about the women rights in the society.
Dr Rubina Saigol spoke on the women independence and media while Nighat Saeed Khan spoke on the topic of 'The Women Question Pakistan.'
The second session of the conference tilted Women in Visual/Performing Arts was chaired by the noted writer Kishwar Naheed.
Former principal National College of Arts (NCA) Salima Hashmi talked about censorship, women and art. She gave her analysis of the women role in the field of art. She said that today's world has become far more problematic than the previous years. She said the things that had not changed for the women in Pakistan were that they were still at the receiving end like they were in old times.
She said that the things had become better for men over the years however still there was a lot to do for the opposite gender. She showed various paintings by women artists who tried to raise voice for women and against wrongs of the society.
She recalled that in 1980s some 60 Pakistani women artists signed a Manifesto of Women Artists of Pakistan to voice the women rights and said that the business of the woman body's visibility had become a global issue once again. She said that this debate was not Muslim world specific but the issue is also being deliberated in West also.
Drama artist and director Madeeha Gohar said that her theatre Ajoka Theatre had been staging plays to highlight the discrimination against the women. She said that they had been receiving threats from the various groups however she had never budged an inch from their stance on the women rights.
Writer and director Rukhsana Noor appreciated the formation of the SAWM. She said that like other fields, women also made their mark in the film industry and still were doing well in it. Around 100 women journalists from all over country attended the conference.
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