Women in Action (photos from protests before Martial Law was lifted)
Old Pictures
This is a post that we meant to make long ago, but didn't get around to. (Ginny, this one's for you!) Some of the previous photos we posted a protests made it look like there were only men participating. Therefore, at this rally on International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) decrying the lack of human rights under martial law, Devin made sure to get pictures of the strong contingent of women present. This one with the yellow banner is a group of women from the infamous (in Pakistan)Women's Action Forum -- an organization founded to decry some of the anti-women legislation introduced under during the rule of dictator General Zia-ul-Haq and which has since championed women's and human rights in Pakistan. Edit: Devin took the first two, Amber took the last one.
I like this one just to counter the notion of all veiled women being oppressed, locked inside their homes, and without political agency.
Finally, a contingent of female police officers standing at the ready for arrests if necessary. They had been looking at me earlier until the constable (she looked tough!) told them to turn their heads from the camera.
I also have some recordings of protest songs and poetry being sung at a gathering organized by the Women's Action Forum earlier in the emergency. Some of the songs were quite funny, others melancholy yet resistant and beautiful. Unfortunately, our Internet connection is very slow and so uploading them would take too long. Yesterday some rioters/protesters torched a PTCL building that housed fiber optic cables providing Internet and international call services to Lahore. Although the Internet is finally back up, it's at significantly lower bandwidth for the time being.
This is a post that we meant to make long ago, but didn't get around to. (Ginny, this one's for you!) Some of the previous photos we posted a protests made it look like there were only men participating. Therefore, at this rally on International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10) decrying the lack of human rights under martial law, Devin made sure to get pictures of the strong contingent of women present. This one with the yellow banner is a group of women from the infamous (in Pakistan)Women's Action Forum -- an organization founded to decry some of the anti-women legislation introduced under during the rule of dictator General Zia-ul-Haq and which has since championed women's and human rights in Pakistan. Edit: Devin took the first two, Amber took the last one.
I like this one just to counter the notion of all veiled women being oppressed, locked inside their homes, and without political agency.
Finally, a contingent of female police officers standing at the ready for arrests if necessary. They had been looking at me earlier until the constable (she looked tough!) told them to turn their heads from the camera.
I also have some recordings of protest songs and poetry being sung at a gathering organized by the Women's Action Forum earlier in the emergency. Some of the songs were quite funny, others melancholy yet resistant and beautiful. Unfortunately, our Internet connection is very slow and so uploading them would take too long. Yesterday some rioters/protesters torched a PTCL building that housed fiber optic cables providing Internet and international call services to Lahore. Although the Internet is finally back up, it's at significantly lower bandwidth for the time being.