The webinar "Women and the Peaceful Possibilities of Being in the World" was held on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 was held.
According to the ECO Cultural Institute, university professors and women's rights activists from Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan gathered on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and marked the day expressing their views and lived experiences.
Dr. Homeira Qaderi, a university lecturer, author and women's rights activist from Afghanistan was the first speaker who voiced her views on educational violence and women in Afghanistan, the conditions of women and girls in accessing educational facilities as well as their lived experience during the civil war and Taliban's rule: "I think the main reason for the cycle of violence in Afghanistan is political violence / economic violence / physical violence / emotional violence, educational violence." She continued.
"Women will be empowered when they can play an active role in the teacher / student education system. To be a student who is learning, to be a teacher who is teaching... The absence of girls / women in such roles slows down the advancement of society and women's empowerment and expands the dominance of men." She said. "School violence is the main reason for the isolation of Afghan women from the society, because women need to be aware of their rights, and if for any reason education is to be an unattainable dream for many little girls, where should they achieve awareness and wisdom?"
Lastly, Qaderi expressed her concerns about the presence of the Taliban in the composition of the political and social system of Afghanistan and the spread of school violence against women in this country.
Dr. Faleeha Zahra Kazemi, Chairperson of Persian Department of Lahore College for Women in Pakistan, said that women's rights is a term that refers to the freedom and rights of women of all ages. These rights may or may not be recognized by traditional or moral law or customs in a society. The special reason for categorizing these rights as women's rights and separating them from more general rights such as human rights is that, in theory, these rights are recognized for all human beings at birth, but women's rights advocates show that for historical and cultural reasons Women and girls are more excluded from these rights than men.
Regarding the position of women in Persian literature, she said that although in public opinion it is believed that Persian literature features patriarchal domination, but in the original texts of Persian literature, one can find the active role of women in the development of peace and tranquility in the societies of their time.
Assessing gender perspectives in peace processes, Dr. Anahita Seifi, a faculty member at Allameh Tabataba'i University and Director of the Women and Peace Research Center at Allameh Tabataba'i University, said one of the circumstances for peace is the participation of all social and political groups, which would be reflective of the inclusiveness of lasting peace. Therefore, the inclusiveness of the peace process requires the presence of women. Barriers on this path indicate that we need to be more aware of why and how women participate in the peace process. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the participation of women as one of the group who suffer the most from war and violence. The challenges that women face in the peace process are mostly gender-based, and women's participation is challenged with barriers that in many cases pose a security risk to them. Therefore, these challenges must be recognized and ways to reduce or eliminate them must be explored. The peace process, regardless of gender, will not lead to a just, inclusive and lasting peace.
Dr. Nozima Khodiyeva, a professor at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, spoke about the role of women in Uzbekistan. She also discussed the historical position of Goharshad Begum in the development of science and culture.
Dr. Akbota Zholdasbekova, Vice-Rector of Eurasian National University, also elaborated on the situation of women and the importance of their presence in Kazakhstan. She provided accurate statistical information on the situation of women in the country.
The event was co-organized by the ECO Cultural Institute and the Women and Peace Research Center at Allameh Tabataba'i University.