The observance of the International Women Day today under the auspices of the United Nations demonstrates that women everywhere are waking up.

On this occasion I wish to congratulate the women of the world in general and of Pakistan in particular and salute them for their struggle for emancipation and an end to discrimination. I also wish to congratulate the Ministry of Women Development for arranging special events to celebrate the day.

This year's theme "Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all" requires that we take legislative and administrative steps in the direction of gender equality and emancipation of women in the country.

It is reassuring that in accordance with this year's theme the present government has enacted a far reaching legislation aimed at protecting women from harassment at workplace. Also in line with this theme the government has declared women as beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) as well as of free distribution of stare lands in the command areas of the new dams proposed to be built in the country.

I wish to compliment the women of Pakistan on these milestones in their forward march towards uplift and gender equality.

The Pakistan Peoples Party is specially committed to the welfare of women. Shaheed Mohtarma said that "women’s rights are inseparable from human rights"; that "there was no human right more fundamental, and more universal, than equal rights for women in tpe new century". Her vision serves as a beacon to achieve gender equality in the country.

On this occasion therefore I should also like to remind all concerned that we need to pursue the pledges made by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto at the Beijing Conference and in the document on CEDAW for the emancipation and uplift of women. She set the trend in gender equality and protection of women from violence. We resolve today to make that trend irreversible.

On this occasion I also urge the Members of Parliament to revisit the laws discriminatory to women adopted by male prejudice and to review them. I also appeal to all the political parties to join hands to extricate women from the agony and embarrassment of discriminatory laws. Let us mobilize the collective power of women to help make our country, the region and the world more tolerant, harmonious and secure.