Women's Action Forum

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Women's Action Forum (WAF)

خواتين محاذ عمل
FormationSeptember، 1981 Karachi
TypeWomen's organization
FocusProtecting women's rights, Advocacy, Media attention, direct-appeal campaigns, lobbying
Location
Website www.wafkarachi.com//

Women's Action Forum (WAF) is a women's rights organization in Pakistan. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Women's Action Forum (WAF) was established in Karachi in September, 1981 [3] by a group of 15 [4] women named Farida Sher, Samina Rehman, Najma Sadeque (1943- 2015) (Founder of Shirkat Gah), Rukhsana Rashid, Ghazala Rahman Rafiq, [5] Farida Shaheed (head of NGO named Shirkat Gah), Fareeha Zafar, Aban Marker Kabraji, Zohra Yusuf (member Shirkat Gah), Nighat Said Khan (founder of Applied Socio-Economic Resource Center-ASR), [6] Humaira Rehman, Sultanat Bokhari, Khawar Mumtaz, [7] Hilda Saeed (member Shirkat Gah), Lala Rukh (1948 – 2017), [8] [9] Nigar Ahmed (1945 – 2017) and Nasreen Azhar, [10] [11] some of whom were associated with Lahore Grammar School, National College of Arts and NGOs like Simorgh, Society for Advancement of Education (SAHE) and Aurat Foundation. [12] Other organisations which endorsed the charter of WAF included Democratic Women's Association, Tehrik-e-Niswan, Shirkat Gah, Pakistan Women Lawyers' Association, All Pakistan Women's Association and later on Sindhiani Tahreek. [1]

The WAF was formed to respond to the implementation of the Hudood Ordinance penal code and to strengthen women's position in society generally. Women from civil society organizations in Karachi became the founding members of the WAF which has later been joined by chapters from Lahore (Punjab) and Islamabad (Capital of Pakistan) soon within a period of one year. [13] In Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Peshawar and Quetta the group agreed on collective leadership and formulated policy statements and engaged in political action to safeguard women's legal position. [14]

Famous Members

Nigar Ahmed (1945 – 2017) started the Islamabad and Lahore chapters in 1982. [5] Amar Sindhu along with Arfana Mallah started chapter of Women's Action Forum (WAF) in Hyderabad in 2008. [15] Since then they are actively working with WAF. Afiya Shehrbano Zia, famous feminist researcher is an active member of WAF, from Karachi.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Inam, Moniza (3 March 2013). "WAF — the beginning". DAWN.COM.
  2. ↑ Women's Action Forum (WAF)
  3. ↑ Women empowerment: The spring of hope Dawn (newspaper), Published 14 February 2016, Retrieved 21 March 2019
  4. ↑ Ahmed, Shoaib (7 November 2017). "Commemorating the life of Lala Rukh, artist and activist extraordinaire". DAWN.COM.
  5. 1 2 "Remembering a Revolutionary". Newsline. 27 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Jahan, Tanveer (8 March 2016). "The sole voice: Women's rights activist, Nighat Said Khan". Herald Magazine.
  7. ↑ "National Women's Day: Memoirs of trailblazing activists". The Express Tribune. 11 February 2014.
  8. ↑ "Pakistani icon Lala Rukh remembered on her birthday | SAMAA". Samaa TV.
  9. ↑ "Lala Rukh passes away". The Nation. 8 July 2017.
  10. ↑ "Five Questions". The Nation. 26 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Interview: The gender pay gap in Pakistan". asia.fes.de.
  12. ↑ "Women's Action Forum national convention, Lahore 1982". a lib dem in international development. 17 November 2006.
  13. ↑ Saigol, Dr. Rubina (March 2016). "Feminism and the Women's Movement in Pakistan Actors, Debates and Strategies" (PDF). Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  14. ↑ The Status of Women and the Women's Movement
  15. ↑ "Women decide to fight back". DAWN.COM. 25 February 2009.
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