The speakers discussed material questions of dignified existence for women as also equality, equity, access and dignity.

NEW DELHI – Noted woman speakers have made it a point that equal status is not enough for them. They asserted that they needed justice, access to power and dignity as well.

The women were speaking at a national webinar hosted by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Women’s Wing on the eve of Women’s Day.

The eminent speakers at the webinar included Prof. Poornima Pattanshetty, educationalist, Ms. Noor Mahvish, a law student; Ms. Jaya Dwivedi, a social activist, Dr Sufiya Fatima, a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Clinical Psychologist, Dr A Ramlath, psychologist, Ms. Nisha Siddhu, NFIW. They discussed questions like ‘Is equality the limit, and do women need more?’

The discussion revolved around both material questions of dignified existence for women as well as the more complicated questions relating to concepts such as equality, equity, access and dignity.

Delivering introductory comments, JIH Women’s Wing Secretary Mrs. Atiya Siddiqua, stressed the need to go beyond equality and towards a paradigm of justice.

The younger speakers at the webinar gave emotional testimonies on how the difference between boys and girls is established at a very young age in families and how femininity itself becomes an insult in colloquial conversations, to more data and fact-based presentations on the gender gap and other forms of inequalities.

The speakers from the field of social activism established how difficult a journey it has been to articulate injustice for women from the ground up. One common thread that ran among all the speakers was to recognise that women face extraordinary challenges and the fact that have different needs as fair sex be it bodily, mentally, emotionally and socially and the importance of not glossing over this. The legal aspects were also touched upon by some speakers.

Summing up the opinions the speakers, JIH Women’s Wing Secretary Mrs. Rahamathunnissa  established the falsity of the statement ‘Can women do it all?’ and instead argued that in many things, women are doing things that even men cannot do.

She contended that their competition was not with men since the Creator made them unique in their form and needs. However, she admitted that the struggle to prove themselves and to seek acceptance was a double burden for women. She highlighted the need to continue education from cradle to grave for all humans, irrespective of gender.