Anger after feminism panel lineup in Pakistan included no women

A feminism event in Pakistan has caused anger around the world.

International Women's Day in Karachi.

International Women's Day in Karachi. Source: Getty

Social media users have expressed outrage and disbelief at a feminism discussion in Pakistan that was set to have no women on the panel.

The Arts Council of Pakistan planned to hold an event titled "Feminism: The Other Perspective" with an all-male lineup, including local media and activists.

"You will see some very notable people of our country shedding light on the topic from their point of view," material for the talk said.
A rally to mark International Women's Day in Lahore.
A rally to mark International Women's Day in Lahore. Source: Getty
Twitter in Pakistan and around the world quickly erupted.
Meanwhile, some mocked the idea.
But at the last-minute, participant Uzma Alkarim tweeted the event was being "re-framed" to include female speakers and would now be called "Understanding Feminism".
Pakistan's ranking for gender equality remains one of the lowest in the world.

The latest World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report placed Pakistan at 148 out of 149 countries surveyed.
Human Rights Watch also gave the country a scathing review of gender relations in its last world report.

"Violence against women and girls - including rape, so-called honour killings, acid attacks, domestic violence, and forced marriage - remains a serious problem. Pakistani activists estimate that there are about 1,000 “honour” killings every year," it said.

"[And] early marriage remains a serious problem, with 21 per cent of girls in Pakistan marrying before the age of 18."


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Published 22 November 2019 9:06pm
Source: SBS News

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