KARACHI: In the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, reserved seats for women should be increased from 16% to 23%. General seats should also be allocated 5% to 20% for women. Political parties should ensure representation and presence of women in decision-making bodies.

These demands were made during the first Sindhi Women’s Day ceremony at Karachi Press Club on Sunday.

Prominent women from various fields, including sports, law, journalism, and other walks of life, addressed the event, showing remarkable achievements at the national and provincial levels.

Mahreen Baloch, a gold medalist in boxing and a Commonwealth Games representative for Pakistan in combat sports, stated that men also feel intimidated when women enter the boxing arena. She hails from Lyari, where men are famous in boxing, and she ensured women’s inclusion in it.

Verun Pirzado, a sports teacher, expressed her desire to elevate football to the grassroots level as the first female referee in football. She believes that women need to be brought forward not only in the field of academia but also in sports.

Fahmeeda Riaz Shewani, a member of the organising committee for Sindhi Women’s Day, pointed out that even in recent elections women were mostly confined to reserved seats, although some contested on general seats like Maryam Nawaz and Shazia Marri.

Rabiya Ejaz Sheikh, hailing from Khairpur, is a designer on YouTube. She learned from YouTube and built her channel, earning enough to build her own house, which was astonishing for the villagers. She thought spending the whole day on mobile phones could be a waste of time. She advised young girls to enter their preferred fields and benefit from the current era, allowing them to earn from home.

Lok singer Nahid Mallani, Alghoza Nawaz Arbab Khoso also performed, while Professor Shahnila Zardari, Wahida Mahesar, Shazia Nazamani, Rubina Chandio, and others also spoke.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024