The story of International Working Women’s Day and Stance of BSO

By: Drousham Baloch 

“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.”
-Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist

What is the meaning of International Women’s Day?
An annual day for recognition of and struggle for women’s economic, social and political rights, opportunities for awakening self-consciousness among women workers, and for the unity of the working class.

Why do we celebrate it on March 8?
A day for women was first marked in 1909 by the Socialist Party of America on Feb. 28. The following year, the leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, Clara Zetkin, proposed the idea for an International Women’s Day at an International Conference of Working Women.
A number of countries adopted the day, initially celebrating it on March 25. In 1913, it was decided to transfer the day to March 8, where it has remained ever since.
The United Nations adopted International Women’s Day in 1975, helping the day gain wider reach.

What’s the history of IWD?
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900’s – a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908: Women’s oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909: In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910: In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day – a Women’s Day – to press for their demands.

1911: Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women’s Day was honored the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic ‘Triangle Fire’ in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labor legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events. 1911 also saw women’s Bread and Roses’ campaign.

1913: On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women’s Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women’s Day ever since.

1914: In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women’s solidarity. For example, in London in the United Kingdom there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women’s suffrage on 8 March 1914. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.

1917: On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for “bread and peace” in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1. Opposed by political leaders, the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women’s strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1975: International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations in 1975. Then in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.

1996: The UN commenced the adoption of an annual theme in 1996 – which was “Celebrating the past, Planning for the Future”. This theme was followed in 1997 with “Women at the Peace table”, and in 1998 with “Women and Human Rights”, and in 1999 with “World Free of Violence against Women”, and so on each year until the current. More recent themes have included, for example, “Empower Rural Women, End Poverty & Hunger” and “A Promise is a Promise – Time for Action to End Violence against Women”.

2011: 2011 saw the 100 year centenary of International Women’s Day – with the first IWD event held exactly 100 years ago in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. In the United States, President Barack Obama proclaimed March 2011 to be “Women’s History Month”, calling Americans to mark IWD by reflecting on “the extraordinary accomplishments of women” in shaping the country’s history.

Is Aurat March an event of bourgeoisie class?

Aurat March is organized by women of all classes, who have been victim of any kind of gender-based violence, harassment or discrimination. It is organized by the women who identify their rights and have courage to fight for themselves. The idea of Aurat march was presented by both liberal and socialist feminists in Pakistan, but it has trickled down into the consciousness of working-class women. Last year, a large number of domestic and home-based workers gathered in Hyderabad to demand basic necessities of life. Their notion of issues were completely different from the demands in March at Lahore and Islamabad. BSO, as an anti-patriarchal and socialist feminist students body strongly believes in the idea of womanhood and building organic solidarity of oppressed women across boundaries. Our participation in march is for the reason to build international women’s solidarity of women from oppressed class and nationalities.

Why BSO is participating in Aurat March 2020 on International Women’s Day?
Balochistan is one of the most underdeveloped part of the country with lacking basic women rights. Social issue of women plight is directly related to existing socio-political and economic status quo of the province.

Usually, the tribalism in Balochistan is blamed as a bar for the women freedom. Intra tribe marriages for truce, honor killing and child marriages are the manifested examples which were declared illegal and penalized by parliament, but still, there is a lot to be done. Despite legislation the women rights security is not achieved which means only tribalism is not the issue.
Lack of women emancipation is a problem directly linked with the economic independence of women. Embroidery work is the sole learning way available to most women population. Women learn it as earning skill on their own because of no proper institutions. But it is still not the issue, but illiteracy is.
Illiteracy of women counts as insecurity of their rights. Education is enlightenment, and awareness is the security of rights. Literacy in Balochistan is alarming. Religious fundamentalism hinders the way of female education and because of federal ignorance too. Role of provincial government after 18th amendment is also not satisfactory.

So Baloch Students Organization believes that when authorities are not interested enough to do their job and provide basic facilities to women of Balochistan then, we as Student are a huge power who one work as a fist can attain what we demand for.
Aurat March is a big platform and since 2018 it has been receiving huge insights and recognition throughout the world. We presume that such platforms are created for us to highlight what problems women of Balochistan are actually facing. And BSO is commemorating their female comrades by acknowledging what their uprights are at the extent they are capable of!

Demands of Baloch Students Organisation:
It is true that women of Balochistan are facing a lot more problems and are discriminated in almost every possible way. But Baloch Students Organisation emphasized on below five demands so far and here is the reason why,

1. Accountability of people involved in UoB harassment scandal: As we have already highlighted it Aurat Jalsa that study ratio of women in Balochistan is 37% which is undoubtedly decreased after UoB harassment scandal. Many female students went back to their villages. The confidence they have given to their parents regarding their safety and security is dropped which is apparently a huge loss to the nation that our women are not even safe in educational institutes. We believe that education is the only key which can lead us towards Justice and snatch our rights.
2. Enforced disappearances of Women: According to a recent report released by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, there has been an alarming increase in cases of enforced disappearances of women in Balochistan. This reflects the increasing suppression of the Baloch people by the Pakistani security forces which has perpetually denied the Baloch of their fundamental human rights including the right to life, freedom of expression, and freedom from torture.
3. Social and Cultural barriers to female education in Balochistan: Women across the world continue to suffer from gender inequality, including child- and forced marriage, gender-based violence, sexist policies, as well as barriers to participation in education and employment. Education is one of the most critical areas of empowerment for women. Offering girls basic education is one sure way of giving them much greater power — of enabling them to make genuine choices over the kinds of lives they wish to lead. This is not a luxury, it’s a basic right of every human being.
4. Maternity care services across remote areas of Balochistan: Almost 780 pregnant women die every year in Balochistan due to lack of maternity health facilities at hospitals and clinics, according to a report by the Balochistan Institute of Research and Development. The province has 28 public hospitals, 550 basic health units and 90 childcare and maternity health clinics. However, at 90% of these hospitals, specialist female doctors are not available. Many of these hospitals and clinics do not have trained staff either. The reason behind the overwhelming number of deaths is that pregnant women from areas such as Nasirabad, Sibbi, Loralai and Kech have to travel to either Quetta or Karachi to receive basic healthcare facilities. But by the time they reach the city area, the condition just worsens and probably death occurs.
5. Killing of women under pretext of honor: In Balochistan’s traditionally patriarchal society, women regularly face discrimination, assault, and murder in the name of “honor.” Despite enactment of harsh legal penalties to put an end to this burgeoning social menace, still we, as a nation, have miserably failed to achieve something worthwhile in this respect. Rather than decreasing, this shameful social evil is ballooning day in day out in our society. In our country, the Honor killing is ubiquitous in all four provinces. However, Sindh and Balochistan are the most affected regions. In Sindh, this shameful practice is called “KARO KARI,” and in Balochistan, this reprehensible custom is dubbed as “SIAHKARI” OR “SIAKHEL”.

Why Baloch Students Organisation presented only the above mentioned demands not the other problems faced by Baloch women every day?
BSO will come up in the march with their own charter demand which will be including all the problems women of Balochistan are facing (though those are already included in Aurat March’s Manifesto).

The major reason behind highlighting the above mentioned demands in Aurat March’s Manifesto is a big stance. As the harassment scandal of UoB was even presented in the Assembly but still no strict action is taken against this heinous act which is huge question mark on the system!
So in the case of abduction of Baloch women, who were arrested from Balochistan’s Awaran district in the month of November under the false tag of Terrorism and later on were released and returned to their homes. And no one investigated the roots of the matter.
The issue of Missing Women is not only against State’s law but also antagonist to UN charter and BSO condemns this act where ever possible and demands strict punishment of culprits.

If folks believe that above mentioned demands of Baloch Students Organization are not that important to highlight just because these are barriers by the state or by the patriarchal society then it is simple to understand that our fight is with injustice whether it’s the State or the Patriarchal Culture.
An equal world is an enabled world. Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.

Note: IWD is not recognized for working class women only but for every women. Reread History of 1996.