HYDERABAD: Speakers at a consultation programme on Friday demanded that women, minorities and transgender persons should be empowered by giving them representation in local governments.
The consultation programme titled ’Participation in Local Government and Problems faced by Vulnerable Groups’ was organised by the Human Rights Organisation (HRCP) at the Hyderabad Press Club.
Leaders of political and social organisations, writers, journalists, transgender persons, and male and female farmers participated in the event. Speaking on this occasion, HRCP co-director of operations Tahira Habib said that our aim is to meet the people of the vulnerable groups, listen to their problems, and make efforts to solve them.
She said the quota of minority women in the local governments should be increased. Besides, adequate capacity should be created for the minority women in the national and provincial assemblies, and women should be empowered by providing constitutional and legal protection so that they can raise their voice, she demanded.
Comrade Nazir Qureshi, the leader of the Sindhi Women’s Organisation, said that incidents of forced marriages of Hindu girls by changing their religion are increasing rapidly. Human rights organisations and governments should play their role in this matter, and action should be taken against those involved, he said.
He demanded that women should be included more and more in local government elections, and they should also be empowered and given the right to live freely so that the country could develop.
Pakistan Peoples Party leader Farheen Mughal said that women should be sent to the assemblies on general seats instead of reserved seats. The selection on reserved seats is a great injustice to women, she said, adding that the PPP has spoken about the vulnerable groups, including women, and has also given them representation, examples of which are Senator Krishna Kolhi and MPA Tanzilah Qambarani, who are present in the assemblies today.
Madiha Shah said that transgender persons are the most affected; socially we are subjected to extreme humiliation, and society does not give us any importance. The government of Sindh has made legislation for transgender persons, but it should be implemented, and we should be recognised as equal citizens in this country, Shah said.
Lal Muhammad, a leader of an organisation of disabled persons, said that there are nine million disabled people in Sindh, while this number may be more, and we can strengthen our society when our institutions come forward for these people. “Governments need to step forward. The problems of the disabled are not being addressed.”
Advocate Yawar Qureshi said that governments should give importance to the local government system and protect farmers, workers, transgender persons and women. When we strengthen the local governments, and all the problems will be solved, he remarked.
Journalist Ishaq Mangrio said that it is an appeal to the well-known parties working at the local level to fight for women, minorities and transgender persons at the union council level.
Senior journalist Junaid Khanzadeh said that there is great oppression of transgender persons, and our government should make them a part of local governments, but our democratic governments have not been able to improve the local system. Many months have passed since the local elections, but still the mayor and deputy mayor have not been elected, he said.
Hyderabad HRCP Regional Coordinator Ghafrana Arain, PPP leader Rana Pardeeb Kumar, Hyderabad district Jamaat-e-Islami leader Abdul Basit, National Awami Tehreek leader Farhana Solangi, social leader Salim Jarwar and others also spoke on the occasion.
Source: The News
