Dr Farah Naz, president of Minhaj Women League, has welcomed the launch of awareness about gender violence by the Punjab Women Development Department. She said that the societies that do not extend respect to women are like jungles, adding that they remain deprived of peace, harmony and contentment. She said that the presence of gender-based violence is unacceptable and against the Islamic principles. She suggested that different segments of society such as teachers, religious scholars, and media need to be co-opted in the 16-day campaign for women rights.

Dr Farah Naz said that the electronic media should run programs to highlight the issue of gender-based violence so that greater awareness of women rights can feed into a momentum to check the incidence of such practices. She said that Islam has accorded utmost respect to women by endowing rights on them equal those of men.

President MWL said that the women face discrimination at the workplace and domestic violence. She said that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) taught the believers to respect women in all their roles. She said that Islam teaches us to solve differences through consultation, and wisdom. “Irrespective of the nature of differences, no woman can be allowed to be disrespected,” she concluded.