Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday underlined the indispensability of women’s stake in development and policy making, saying the party has been persistently working towards removing the under-representation of women in politics to have policies more attuned to women’s needs.
Party’s State Women’s Wing President Shameema Firdous addressed a meeting of women functionaries here at Party Headquarters Nawa e Subha. Among others Party’s Provincial President Women’s Wing Er. Sabiya Qadri was also present on the occasion.
In her address to the meeting Shameema Firdous said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir under the capable leadership of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, the revolutionary manifesto of Naya Kashmir saw women of Kashmir benefit from a number of economic and educational opportunities in the decades that followed independence. She said that nowhere in the world had the state itself become a purveyor of feminism as happened in Jammu and Kashmir.
She said that the struggle of Madre Meharban bore anticipated results in improving women’s knowledge, self-confidence, voice and political and social standing.
Shameema stated that the example of Madre Maharban also created a cycle marked by greater women’s representation in polity, education, health services, and other sectors.
She said that the indigenous; grass-roots women’s movement led by Madre Maharban that emerged in Kashmir was nationally and globally acclaimed.
Exhorting the Women functionaries, she said that it was good to see women be part of the decision making process, saying the measure will help attune the policies and development agenda to the needs and requirements of Women. “It was the dream of Sheikh Sahib and Madre Meharban to see women partake in the decision making process. I hope that the Women DDCs members will utilize the democratic spaces which they have occupied in a positive manner to realize the party’s manifesto by becoming a bridge between people and the party,” she said.
While alluding to the role played by the party in empowering women and removing gender discrimination, Shameema said that it was during the successive governments of NC led by Dr. Farooq Sahib, and Omar Sahib that women were given 33% quota in jobs and 50% seats were reserved in MBBS.
She added that the revolutionary gender neutral voting in terms of adult franchise and sustained gender neutral policies of NC went a long way in securing women their due rights in the society.
