Multi-stakeholder forum - Letter

I read with great interest the news story published in Chitral Update about the multi-stakeholder forum held in Chitral under the aegis of AKRSP to discuss various dimensions of the women rights in Chitral and make recommendations to protect them.
It is a great initiative which recognizes the fact that women are equal members of society, community and family, thus they are entitled to have equal rights and privileges available to men.
I, however, found it strange, rather outrageous, that women were there only to listen to all male speakers. By excluding women to speak on behalf of women, the forum has perpetuated man chauvinism rather than promoting women's rights. Today, there are Chitrali women who are well educated, successful educators, politicians, doctors and social activists; they have the ability and courage to stand in front of the audiance and articulate their aspirations as well as their concerns. Strangely enough, one speaker pointed out that education is the only solution to the causes of imbalance in gender equality.
If that was the case then the speakers of the forum should have cosisted of both genders to demonstrate a gender balance which in this case was totally tilted to
one side. Unless genuine attitudinal change towards women occurs, jargons like women rights, women empowerment, gender equality and so on are but hollow statements and have no real meaning for the women in Chitral.

Mir Baiz Khan
Toronto