LAHORE:Lahore Left Front completely supports Aurat March and all the labour and farmer organisations will join the march tomorrow (Sunday).

The theme this year is women’s economic empowerment. The Left leaders announced this in a press conference held here Friday. World Women’s Day was first observed on March 8, 1909. The movement women started to get better wages, less working hours and right to vote 111 years back, continues even today in different forms. Aurat March is the constitutional and democratic right of women. This is particularly important in Pakistan, as according to United Nations, 90 percent men and 86 percent women in Pakistan have prejudice against women. “We strongly condemn negativity being propagated against their demand ‘Mera Jism, Meri Marzi.” This is a basic human right. This shows woman is a human like man. This slogan means to put an end to torture, rape, silencing, harassment and domestic violence. It seeks freedom to get the education they want, marry of their own choice, choose their profession - in short it is a voice against patriarchal system.” They demanded Rs40,000 be set minimum wages for factory workers. They appealed to the working women to fully participate in the rally on Sunday and demanded recognition of unpaid labour of women. Women working on brick-kilns have also planned to join the march. Those who spoke on the occasion were Shazia Khan, Rabia Bajwa Advocate, Rubina Jamil, Taimoor Rehman, Diep Saeeda, Shahida Jabeen, Ghulam Fatima and Farooq Tariq.

educatioN: The working class has demanded the government ensure free and standard education to every child under Article 25-A of the Constitution. No child should be left behind because of poverty of their parents. They also demanded the government ensure equal pay for equal work to female workers. That calls for implementing the labour laws and ensuring safe and healthy working conditions to protect them from harassment and violation.

These demands were raised in a meeting of woman workers and trade union representatives on Friday at Bakhtiar Labour Hall here under the aegis of All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions on the eve of celebration of International Woman Day. It was presided over by Huma Aziz along with Osama Tariq General Secretary APFTU and was addressed by Veteran Trade Union Leader Khurshid Ahmed, General Secretary of All Pakistan Workers Confederation.

The house in a resolution urged the policy makers to create employment opportunities for young woman workers and provide social protection and give them representation in the policy, law-making bodies and judiciary.