KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
‘Ansar-un-Nissa’ organised a one day conference ‘Role of Women in the Society: Challenges ahead’ in collaboration with Women’s Studies Centre, College of Education at the auditorium of College of Education, Srinagar.
The event was chaired by the Prof (Dr) Maqsooda Khan, Principal, Government College of Education Srinagar. Coordinator Women’s Studies Centre, Prof Gurmeet Kour, Dr Roshan Ara of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Amira Kadal and Dr Mubeena Ramzan, Chairperson of the Ansar-un-Nissa and representatives of various social and the cultural organisations working in the field of women and women empowerment participated in the conference.
Dr Mubeena Ramzan said, “the women’s rights and up-gradation of their status cannot be achieved by the resolutions and passing of the laws, it never has and it never will. It only prompts a mechanical hard bound nature of the problem which otherwise is a soft problem and needs to be dealt with similar measures.”
“Given the various examples of the recent times,” she said, “the society is facing an unparalleled deprivation and stagnation of the most important constituent of the society.”
She argued that “women weren’t created to do everything men can do but women were created to do the things that men can’t do”. “There is a great difference between equality and similarity. Women are in every respect equal to the men but they are not similar to the men.”
Dr Mubeena added, “40% of contribution to Bait-Al-Mal was from the women in the Ottoman Empire; Ansar-un-Nissa strives to achieve the same status of women in the society.”
“The oldest degree-granting university in the world – Al Qarawiyyin University was founded by Fatima al-Fihri, a lady. Women have been the pioneers of the education from the beginning of the Muslim society which is evident from the fact that a great major of Ah-Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) are quoted by the Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa (RA).
Prof Maqsooda Khan, the Principal of the host Institute highlighted the issues being faced by the women of Kashmir in the society and she lamented various cases of exploitation of women at the hands of women itself.
She stressed the need of educating the women about its rights and duties also. At the end she lauded the role of women organization which came on the front for redressal of their issues themselves and pointed out that only women can change the thinking of women in right context.
Speaking to the event , a scholar from Kashmir University, Shaziya Haroon said, “the women has to change the concept of involving the destiny in the every aspect of their life and start to involve and evolve with extensive application of the Quranic values of the self-development and growth. Quran is not only the book of religious and moral teachings but a living document of value and ethics that if followed, can lead to the positive and spiritual development of the Women in every respect of the society as well as the familial businesses.”
Dr Roshan Ara said, “issues of the women and its existence in the society cannot be put to the Government and its agencies alone to be dealt with but it’s the responsibility of every conscious stricken society to work to eradicate these evils and the women has to work on these on their own with the formation of empowerment avenues and organisations like Ansar-un-Nissa.”
Prof Gurmeet Kaur very graciously galvanized the audience that the time has come for them not just to speak about the great “women heroes of our times and the past but to emulate them in the real sense”. “It is easy to appreciate and talk about the others’ talents and the time has gone for praises, it is time to adopt these roles. Gone are the days to talk about the events and histories. It is evident that time has come to encompass the values and the thoughts behind these events in our life.”
“Empowerment for the women is to walk out of their homes with dignity and self-respect, with a vision, with ideology and identity to guide them in every respect of their life,” she said.
Qusar Jhan , a research scholar of the Women’s Study Centre said the difference about the women constituent of the society is quite evident in every society which is in contrary to the values these societies “where the Women were considered to be the goddesses”.
