International Women’s Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and dignity at the historic Town Hall Poonch. Haq Insaaf Council, brought together prominent public representatives, civil society members and women achievers from across the district. The program was held under the chairmanship of Advocate Zeshan Syed, Chairman Haq Insaaf Council.
The theme of the event was “Challenges of Women in Border Districts – Safety, Education, Livelihood.”
The program commenced with the National Anthem, followed by a welcome address by Ikhlaq Mehmood Parray, who highlighted the importance of recognizing the contributions and resilience of women in border districts.
The event witnessed the presence of distinguished guests including MLA Haveli Ajaz Ahmed Jan, MLA Surankote Ch Mohd Akram, Additional SP Poonch Mohan Sharma (Shaurya Chakra), Former DDC Member Raiz Naaz, Alhaj Syed Zaki Haider (Chairman ACT Trust), Narinder Singh Talwar (COAS Medal Recipient), Prof Shamim Banday, Advocate Iftikhar Bazmi, Mohd Mashooq Khatana, Kamran Ali, Dr Nusrat Shah and Prof Fateh Mohammad Abbasi.
The program featured panel discussions focusing on women’s empowerment and the challenges faced by women in border areas. The first panel discussion, hosted by RJ Faieza Tabasum, featured MLA Haveli Ajaz Ahmed Jan and Advocate Zeshan Syed as panelists.
The second panel discussion was hosted by RJ Touseef Ganai, with DDC Chairperson Tazeem Akhter, Additional SP Poonch Mohan Sharma and DDC Member Riaz Naaz as panelists.
The third panel discussion was hosted by journalist Sharaz Ahmed, with MLA Surankote Ch Mohd Akram participating as a panelist.
The panelists emphasized the importance of women’s empowerment, safety, education, economic opportunities and leadership participation, particularly in border districts where women face unique social challenges.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Shamim Banday highlighted the importance of education and awareness in strengthening women’s empowerment and building a progressive society.
The program was gracefully hosted by renowned moderator Pradeep Khanna.
During the event, several women achievers from various fields were felicitated for their outstanding contributions to society in different categories including Lifetime Achievement Award, Courage Under Conflict, Education Excellence, Youth Leadership, Grassroots Health Worker and Security.
The awardees included Tazeem Akhter (DDC Chairperson), Anjuman Shaheen (Principal GHSS Poonch), Rani Mughal (Principal GDC Surankote), Prof Nighat Chowdhary, Taj-un-Nisa Kazmi (Former CDPO), Dr Shamim Bhatti (Former Chief Medical Officer), Kailash Sharma (Radio/Media), RJ Faieza Tabasum, Er Falak Hameed, Shamshad Akhter (Self Help Group Leader), PSI Dr Avinash Rajput, Anjali Sharma (Martyr Family), Simran Yaqoob (Kurash), Ekta Kapoor (Taekwondo Champion) and Pakiza Irshad (Taekwondo Champion).
The organizers stated that the event at district Poonch was aimed at recognizing the courage, leadership and contributions of women in border districts while encouraging greater participation of women in social leadership and nation building.