Interfaith League against Poverty celebrates International Women Day with participation of women from all faiths
Interfaith League against Poverty (I-LAP)celebrated the International Women’s Day by inviting women from all walks of life, belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Baha’i and Muslim Faiths.
Those women who are making use of their skills to fight against all odds and earn their living or are making the most of their talents were invited to display their products at the event while competitions among students of local universities and arts institutes included painting and photography and revolved around the UN Theme for 2015, Make it Happen.
Celebration of the International Women’s Day was aimed at highlighting the important part that women are playing in different sectors across the globe, especially Pakistan.
Guest speakers at the event included I-LAP Chairman Sajid Ishaq, PTI parliamentarian Nafeesa Khattak, US Embassy Political Officer Stephanie Woodard, Humanitarian Community at UNOCHA and UN WOMEN Gender Equality Advisor Hadia Nusrat and Justice Waheed Siddiqui.
She congratulated the winning participants and praised the efforts of all those who participated in the competitions. She said that the work of the students presented a good perception of tolerance and showed that the youth of Pakistan comprehends its importance.
The event hosted people from all walks of life including, diplomats, politicians, civil society representatives, students, academia and representatives from the print media. The participating universities and institutions included Rawalpindi Institute of Arts and Design (RIAD), Islamabad College of Management & Design – ICMD, COMSATS University and Fatima Jinnah Women University.
Handmade items were displayed by skilled workers of Gosha-e-Mashal, Behbud and SUNGI; members of Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI), students of RIAD and Poonum Javaid.
The I-LAP chairman welcomed the guests and the participants and congratulated the winning students. Applauding the role of women, he said that they have a great contribution towards nation building however even today women are not being given their due rights in our society. Their right to education, marriage, decision making for reproduction, property rights and employment are still being ignored. He said that the women population in Pakistan is 52 per cent and more than half the country is still unaware of their rights. He said that the need of the hour is to educate women on their rights as well as their obligations in order to develop a healthy society.
