‘Courage of Kashmiri, Palestine, Western Sahara women highlighted at UN’
The courage of women of Kashmir, Palestine and Western Sahara was highlighted at UN in Geneva on International Women’s Day, a Hurriyat statement from Geneva said.
Statement said the African Commission for Human Rights arranged a sideline event parallel to the 31st Human Rights Council where Kashmiri, Palestinian and Western Sahara activists briefed the world on the plight of women in their respective regions.
The organization chose a Kashmiri activist, Shagufta Ashraf, to lead the event, statement said, adding, “Ashraf told international rights defenders that India’s army is responsible for over ten thousand rapes of women in Kashmir.”
“Kashmiri women, hardened by the forced disappearances of their husbands and the murder of their sons, have taken to peaceful activism to resist the Indian military,” statement said, adding, “Danial Donges, from the Geneva-based international rights organization Scales for Justice, compared Kashmir to Palestine as she laid out a presentation on the latest developments in the Palestinian occupied territories.’
Statement said Saadani Malenine, from Western Sahara, spoke about the strength of the women of Western Sahara.
Shamim Shawl, veteran Kashmir women’s activist, gave a detailed description of the ground realities for women rights activists in Kashmir, statement said, adding, “She recounted her experience working from abroad with Kashmiri women activists inside Kashmir who risk their lives challenging one of the largest standing armies of the world.”
Another Kashmir activist, Zartasha Niazi, briefed the international community on the state of children in Kashmir, statement said, adding, “She blasted the Indian army for the arbitrary arrests of children as young as 10 years old.”
“This was the largest event at the United Nations in one year where the courage and plight of Kashmiri women was effectively highlighted,” statement said.
