RIYADH — The ladies chapter of Pakistan Writers Club (PWC-LC) marked the United Nations International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women last weekend at the Embassy of Pakistan. The evening featured arts and performances highlighting issues related to putting an end to violence against women across the globe. PWC-LC Convener Dr. Wardah Qureshi presided over the function, which was hosted by Deputy Convener PWC-LC Dr. Erum Qalbani and PRO PWC-LC Aisha Khanum. The evening also played host to Lubna Khayyam, wife of Pakistan Chargé d'Affaires; Najaat Soboh, disability advisor to the UN; Saida Oihabi, wife of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official; Margaret Beisty, motivational speaker against domestic violence; as well as delegates from Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay. The venue, decorated with black and white masks, clearly portrayed the theme of the day — victims and abusers. “The blank faces represent the silent and anonymous inflictors of abuse in a society,” said Asma Tariq, senior member PWC-LC. “We wanted to show how these abusers often lie hidden in plain sight and force their victims into silence as well.” The young girls walking the runway showcased the different forms of abuse that society perpetrates on girls and women. Clippings were shown from Oscar winning documentary Saving Face, which featured the plight of acid attack victims and their inspirational stories of triumph against overwhelming odds. In a play staged for the audience a young woman also struggled to find a happy ending,just like the women in the documentary. The play, “A Tale Untold,” produced and directed by Asma Tariq, told the story of a young woman who at the height of her happiness was chained, bound and thrown into despair by society. The play concluded with how only with the help of other people the young woman fought her way back to life and sanity. “It is always society which throws women into despair, and it is only society which can bring them back to life,” said Madiha Noman, the event coordinator. Ambreen Faiz presented a fitting and poignant eulogy to Parveen Shakir, one of Pakistan's prominent female poets and a well known writer of women and their status in society. Shakir's words reflected the pain felt by the victims as well as the survivors of abuse when she wrote, “O, how these strangers bury me alive within these walls (and) bind me with chains of their honor.” These sentiments were also echoed by Margaret Beisty, a motivational speaker and survivor of domestic abuse, when she said that a woman's forced silence is what keeps her down. She also went on to explain that often violence against women is not as dramatic as an acid attack. “Most domestic violence goes unseen,” said Beisty as she recounted her own moving tale of domestic abuse, as well as the inspirational strength of her mother that helped her whole family move past their painful ordeal. Financial dependence on their abuser, according to Margaret, is one of the key reasons why some women are still trapped in abusive relationships. She also recommended establishing refuge for those women who are not financially independent. Guest of honor Saida Oihabi and guest speaker Najaat Soboh appreciated the efforts put forth by the PWC-LC. Najaat also said that survivors shown in the play can encourage the victims to take a stand. Khayyam congratulated PWC-LC on its promotion of art and culture amongst the Pakistani community, along with giving talented women in the community a platform to showcase their talent and creativity. She acknowledged the importance of societies' roles in women's rights and elaborated the role played by the governments of Pakistan in safeguarding the rights of women. “Gender equality is specifically guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan,” said Khayyam, adding, “Pakistan is moving forward legally and socially by creating awareness against any practices that cause violence and discrimination against women.” Qureshi also appreciated Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah in taking steps in the interest of women through opening more universities for girls as well as including women in the Shoura Council. She also expressed her gratitude to the guests and thanked the event sponsors, and concluded the evening by presenting memento shields to Khayyam, Soboh, Oihabi and Beisty. A shield was also presented to PWC-LC Finance Officer Farah Ehsan for her tireless contributions. The event concluded with the singing of national anthems of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
