JAIPUR: Women from different walks of life at the 9th conference, 'IQRA-2012' discussed problems involving Muslim women on Sunday. The two-day conference organized by the AllIndia Muslim Educational Society concluded on Sunday. The participants also felt the need to hold counseling-cum-awareness campaigns to do away with illiteracy, early marriages, poverty and poor health. Others also expressed the need for 'attention' from within the community and the government.
Farhina Sherwani, president, Muslim Educational Society, Rajasthan (Ladies Youth Wing) said, "In the last few months our wing has held meetings with the underprivileged women to understand their problems. I have come across many families where men do not allow their wives to study after marriage. In some cases even professionally qualified women sit at home as they are not allowed to work." She held uneducated families responsible for orthodox attitude towards women.
Observing a positive change towards girls' education, senior academician and social workerMehrumnisa Khan said, "Progress is slow but continuous." Blaming the prevailing deep-rooted narrow mindedness for the condition of most of the Muslims, she emphasized the need to organize legal awareness camps, as one of the means to empower women.
While answering a question on who should be held responsible for such a state, the family or the government, retired RAS officer, Naseem Hussain said that it is both. "Families should encourage their daughters to excel as students in order to become eligible for various government schemes and policies," said Hussain.
Social activist Yasmeen Faruqi pointed out that men too are needed for social change. "It becomes tough for women to fight discrimination within their families. I have come across many cases where a son goes to an elite school, while this is not so for the daughter," added Faruqi.
The group also said that frequent news reports highlighting ill treatment meted out to Muslims also leads to families being over protective about women. The group said that many parents did not allow their girls to go out of town for studies owing to this sense of insecurity.
On reservation, the group said it will act as harbinger of social change for a minority (women) within minority (Muslims). The discussion concluded on a note that political empowerment of Muslim women and stressing the need on creating role models to follow.Link: 'Families should encourage daughters to excel'
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