International women’s day observed at SU

A massive rally was taken out at the University of Sindh Jamshoro to mark the International Women’s Day and spread awareness of women’s rights in society here on Monday.

Organized by SU’s Institute of Gender Studies (IGS), a gigantic rally was taken out from Fatima Jinnah Girls Gymnasium to Allama I.I Kazi chowk which was led by the vice chancellor of Sindh University Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro and the director of Institute of Gender Studies Dr. Misbah Bibi.

Addressing the rally and later talking to the reporters, the vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro said that true liberation of women came from their socio-economic and gender emancipation adding that only a yearly day was not enough to mark women’s importance in society. “We will be organizing seminars and symposiums from time to time and invite the female students to lead and participate in poster, essay writing, short story, debate, street theater, and skits based on women empowerment and the prizes would be distributed to those who would excel in these competitions”, he said.

He stressed the importance of women handicrafts, women industries and the increasing role of women in the current complex and challenging economic scenario. “For women empowerment, the universities-industries nexus is necessary; we can provide higher education to the women and the industrialists must come forward to create the sources of livelihood for them in order to help them get on their feet”, said Dr. Kalhoro.

He also spoke on how the varsity girls could find out their hidden talents by knowing themselves, enhancing skills to tune and shape themselves for a better future.

Dr. Kalhoro underlined the need for educating women so that they could play an active role in the development of the country adding that the goals of development could not be achieved without educating & mainstreaming women as equal partners.

Taking to the media, the director IGS Dr. Misbah Bibi said that women were equal to men in every way even in the concept of nationhood and any attempt to isolate, degrade, deprive or marginalize them of their rights should be resisted.

She said that the laws for betterment and empowerment to women in the country existed but the implementation upon them was yet open to discussion.

She urged on the need for economic empowerment of women and ensuring equal opportunities for them in all spheres of life, arguing that only then the attitude of the man-dominated society towards the fairer segment would change.

Among many female students and lady teachers, Dr Imamuddin Khoso, Dr Ameer Ali Buriro, Dr Muhammad Bux Burdi, Dr Ghazala Panhwar, Dr Ambreen Khaskheli, Miss Mukhtiar Bhatti, Dr. Ishrat Abbasi, Dr. Shahabuddin Mughal, Dr Shahabuddin Memon, Dr. Naheed Arain, Dr Nabila Shah Jilani, Muhammad Mashooque Siddiqui and Engr Sajjad Hussain Shah also participated in the walk.

Later, the Sindh University (SU) administration in a ceremony held here at the Institute of Gender Studies launched the first ever “Safety for all” app on international women’s day to halt harassment, quarrels and such other issues and ensure the protection of every stake holder especially female students and faculty members on the campus.

Developed by SU’s IT department, the safety app was inaugurated by the vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro at the Institute of Gender Studies (IGS). On the occasion, the director of IGS Dr. Misbah Bibi, Dr. Khalil ur Rehman Khumbhati, Dr. Anila Naz Soomro, Dr. Asad Buledi, Dr. Muhammad Younis Lashari and were also present. Dr. Shahzad Memon briefed the vice chancellor Dr. Kalhoro about the app and demonstrated it practically.

He said in his briefing that the safety for all app could be downloaded from play store of android mobile phone and installed accordingly which will effectively work.

“In case of any emergency, the victim will be able to push a button on his cell phone and the siren or alarm bell will automatically start which could be heard easily till 500 meters. Thus, the security could straightforwardly reach at the site for protection”, he said.