SPEAKING OUT : 'HEAVEN IS NOT POSSIBLE, BUT '
Sebastian Rodrigues | Sun Mar 26 10:59:30 UCT 2006
By:...Stanislaus...Jude...Chan...and...Frances...Suselo
SATURDAY,...MARCH...25,...2006
KARACHI...-...When...one...speaker...at...the...WSF...opening...ceremony...called...out..."remove...violations...against...women",...Aziza...Siddiqui...sat...up...straight...in...her...chair,...and...cheered.
Aziza...is...from...Afghanistan,...and...she...was..."very...excited"...to...hear...her...own...sentiments...spoken...out...loud...by...someone...else...."We...need...to...fight...violations...against...women,"...she...says....The...women's...rights...coordinator...for...Action...Aid...Afghanistan...is...looking...forward...to...engaging...with,...learning...from,...and...sharing...her...experiences...as...a...woman...from...Afghanistan...with...people...from...other...countries...at...the...WSF.
"It...is...hard...work,...but...we...must...fight...for...gender...balance....In...politics,...there...is...only...one...female...minister...in...my...country....We...must...change...this...so...women...can...have...a...chance...at...an...equal...voice."
At...the...same...time,...Roshan...Sirran,...executive...director...of...Training...Human...Rights...Association...(THRA),...an...Afghan...women's...rights...group,...said...that...even...though...her...country...is...still...in...its...post-conflict...period,...the...fact...that...the...there...are...now...28...women...in...its...parliament...paints...a...hopeful...picture...for...the...rest...of...its...women...to...have...a...bigger...role...not...only...in...politics...but...also...in...all...aspects...of...Afghan...life....It's...the...second...time...Afghanistan...has...attended...the...WSF,...she...added.
Aziza...and...Rosha's...voices...are...not...the...only...ones...in...the...carnival...of...ideas...and...debates...at...the...WSF.
Australian...women...also..."still...have...a...long...way...to...go",...said...Australian...participant...Phinman...from...Green...Left...Weekly,...an...independent...national...newspaper...from...the...Down...Under...."Even...though...Australia...is...a...comparatively...rich...country,...Australian...women...still...have...fewer...job...prospects...and...still...lower...pay...rates...than...men,"...she...said...."What's...more,...child...care...in...Australia...is...very...expensive,...so...you...see...many...instances...where...both...parents...in...a...family...work....But...unfortunately,...women...are...still...expected...to...do...the...household...chores,...even...though...they...are...already...working...outside...the...home."
Muhammad...Suhaib,...a...Pakistani...student...volunteer...helping...with...the...painting...of...a...signboard...calling...for...suggestions...to...improve...the...world,...says...there...are...many...issues...he...thinks...the...WSF...should...discuss...."There...are...many...issues...we...need...to...improve...on....Stop...violence,...avoid...war...and...destruction,...return...equal...rights...to...women...Every...human...being...should...be...free...from...suffering...and...have...the...right...to...basic...needs."
Said...Suhaib:..."Heaven...is...not...possible,...but...with...more...events...like...the...WSF,...we...can...help...change...mindsets,...the...way...people...think,...and...make...this...world...a...better...one."...(END/TV/SJC-...FS/JS/06)
karachi – wsf 2006 – wsf – www.agp.org – www.all4all.org