
25 Nov HBWWF Honors Butterfly Sisters, Demands End to Violence and Enforced Disappearances
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, Pakistan (HBWWF) organized a seminar on “Women’s resistance knows no borders (From Butterfly Sister to Pakistan’s Activists)” at the Karachi Press Club.
The seminar was chaired by Asad Iqbal Butt, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and attended by a large number of political, social, and human rights activists.
Prominent speakers included Mehnaz Rahman (journalist and activist), Sammi Baloch (Baloch Yakjehti Council), Zahra Khan (General Secretary, HBWWF), Sorath Lohar (Missing Persons Recovery Movement), Dr. Asghar Ali Dashti (progressive intellectual, teacher, International Relations department, Urdu University), Nasir Mansoor (General Secretary, National Trade Union Federation Pakistan), Saeed Sarbazi (President, Karachi Press Club), and Asad Iqbal Butt (HRCP Chairperson).
The program’s speakers paid rich tribute to the three revolutionary sisters from the Dominican Republic, known as the “Butterfly Sisters,” whose struggle against dictatorship was commemorated globally on November 25. Zehra Khan of HBWWF highlighted how the sisters—Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa Mirabal—became symbols of democratic freedom and women’s empowerment, sacrificing their lives in the fight against a brutal regime. The United Nations Organization (UNO) officially declared November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in their honor in 1999.
She emphasized that the issues of state oppression, authoritarian governance, and misogynistic social attitudes that the Butterfly Sisters fought against persist globally and in Pakistan. She said the political activists faced persecution, enforced disappearances continued unabated, and democratic freedoms were severely restricted. Women workers, particularly in factories, face harassment, while systemic gender discrimination prevails in political, social, and economic spheres.
Nasir Mansoor of NTUF said that despite Pakistan’s passage of a workplace harassment law in 2010, societal norms and judicial delays had made justice nearly unattainable. As a result, Pakistan remains the sixth most dangerous country for women, with alarming statistics:
85% of women workers experienced harassment in workplaces. 90% of domestic workers faced harassment.
40% of women reported digital harassment. 28% of women aged 14-49 face physical violence, and 6% were victims of sexual violence. Additionally, over 8,000 families were affected by enforced disappearances, with thousands of women enduring psychological and social distress due to missing loved ones.
Mansoor recognized the critical role played by women in resisting authoritarianism and advocating for democracy and equality in Pakistan. It highlighted the enduring contributions of figures like Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, Kaneez Fatima, Tahira Mazhar Ali and contemporary activists like Dr. Mahrang Baloch, Sami Baloch, Sorath Lohar, and Zahra Khan.
Sorath Lohar, Sindhi Missing person activist, spoke about the ongoing struggle for rights and resources. “We have been fighting, and will continue to fight, for our homeland and our resources,” she said, pointing to issues like water distribution from Sindh to Punjab.
Sharing her personal story, Sammi Baloch of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee brought attention to the plight of families affected by enforced disappearances. “Being a woman in this society is itself a form of oppression,” she said, describing how Baloch women wait endlessly for their missing loved ones. “History remembers those who refuse to stay silent. Terror doesn’t frighten us – it strengthens our resolve,” Baloch added.
Saeed Sarbazi, President Karachi Press Club, focused on civil rights issues. “We remain committed to protecting the sanctity of Karachi Press Club and standing with all oppressed people,” he said. He highlighted how discriminatory policies, including restrictions on hotel stays for people from Balochistan, reflect deeper problems.
“Wherever there has been oppression, there has been resistance,” said Asad Butt, who shared concerning statistics about violence against women. He emphasized the need to break from feudal mindsets and bring forward young leadership in the resistance movement.
Political activists faced persecution, enforced disappearances continued unabated and democratic freedoms were severely restricted. Women workers, particularly in factories, faced harassment, while systemic gender discrimination prevailed in political, social and economic spheres.
The following demands were presented at the seminar:
- Immediate recovery of all forcibly disappeared persons.
- Restoration of all democratic freedoms, including freedom of expression.
- Repeal of discriminatory laws against women.
- Ratification of ILO Convention 190 by Pakistan and enactment of legal measures to eliminate all forms of violence against women.
- Establishment of anti-harassment committees at workplaces
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