Tooba Syed

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Tooba Syed
طوبیٰ سید
Born
Tooba Syed

May 29, 1991
Islamabad, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
OccupationFeminist, Political organizer
Known forSecretary of Women Democratic Front[1]
Notable work
Organizer of Aurat Azadi March

Tooba Syed (Urdu: طوبیٰ سید, born May 29, 1991) is a Pakistani feminist, grassroots political organizer and gender researcher. She is the secretary for the Islamabad–Rawalpindi branch of the feminist organization Women Democratic Front.[2][3] She is a visiting faculty member at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.

Early life[]

Syed studied dentistry from 2010 until 2015 at Riphah International University, Islamabad and practiced dentistry in Islamic International Dental Hospital from 2014 until 2015. She then started public health research and teaching.[citation needed]

Career[]

In 2017, Syed worked with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, Ministry of Information as a project officer.[citation needed] She is a visiting faculty member at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.[4] As a feminist, political worker and organizer, Syed is interested in feminist theory, its practice, issues of women, gender and politics of South Asia.[5][6] She is a member of the Awami Workers Party.[7]

Syed occasionally writes in Dawn News about political organizing and gender issues.[8][9] She is associated with left-wing politics since 2012 when she participated in arranging study circles at the university in Islamabad.[10] She worked in anti-eviction housing rights movement in Islamabad’s katchi abadis (informal settlements)[11] with the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis, protesting when the Capital Development Authority decided to demolish twelve such settlements in the capital.[12] The All-Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis was an attempt to mobilise slum dwellers to stand up for their rights of low-cost housing instead of falling prey to land mafias and political manipulation.[13][14]

Syed has also organized the landless peasants movement and Okara’s women’s resistance movement.[15] Syed arranged political schools to deepen the understanding of methods of organizing progressive political resistance in Pakistan along with social, economic and political structures of inequality and oppression.[16] Syed has participated in student issues as well.[17][18]

Feminism[]

Syed, supported the Me Too movement in Pakistan while describing the incident of Khaisore,[19] she said, "It is an issue of feminism and it should be taken up as such. If #MeToo is about all women then the woman of Khaisore who spoke up should be the face of the movement in the country."[20] While describing Sheema Kermani’s Dhamal in Sehwan, after the attack (Feb, 2017) on shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Syed said "Women know what violence is, and what it feels like when your freedom is taken away, that’s why they rise up like this."[21] Syed organized an event on International Women’s Day 2017 and invited South Asian feminist Kamla Bhasin.[22]

Women Democratic Front[]

Syed is the secretary for the Islamabad–Rawalpindi branch of the socialist-feminist women collective and organization Women Democratic Front (WDF).[1] The group was founded along with other left-wing workers from across country with an aim to involve the working-class women in political struggle and ensure their representation from federal to basic unit levels.[23] Under the banner of WDF, Syed condemned the recent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government order of banning media coverage of all events in females’ schools across KP province. She said: “The achievements of the girls will not be shared on social media and with the public in the name of “protection”, “modesty” and pardah”.[24]

Aurat Azadi[]

Syed was among the organizers of Aurat Azadi March 2018, which was set up to oppose the widespread structural violence, gender inequality and organized crime against women in Pakistan. The same day Women Democratic Front (WDF) was launched.[25] Syed, as a WDF member, then organized the Aurat Azadi March 2019, in Islamabad. She said the march was held to "heal collectively from the wounds inflicted on us by capitalism, patriarchy, militarism, religious fundamentalism and imperialism."[26][27][28]

Syed was again part of organizing team for the Aurat Azadi March 2020 in Islamabad, which was denounced by clerics from the Lal Masjid mosque and then attacked by right-wing elements.[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "WDF pays tribute to women who stood up against dictatorship". The Nation. 16 February 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  2. ^ "WDF demands to repeal ban on media coverage of KP's girls' schools | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. October 30, 2018. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  3. ^ اصغر, ترہب (31 January 2020). "پشتین کی خاطر جیل جانے والے 'انقلابی' کون". BBC News اردو (in Urdu). Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  4. ^ Japanwala, Natasha. "'Love and power': The revival of people's politics in Pakistan". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  5. ^ Team, Cutacut Editorial (7 March 2018). "#WomanCrushWednesday: All the women you need in your life". cutacut. Archived from the original on 17 April 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  6. ^ "Call to reform political system". www.thenews.com.pk. January 14, 2019. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  7. ^ ""International Women's Day 2019"". The Vice. 8 March 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. ^ Syed, Tooba (23 September 2019). "What the left lacks". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  9. ^ Syed, Tooba (18 March 2019). "A rising movement". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 23 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  10. ^ ""Aurat Jagi": The Left Way". The Friday Times. 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  11. ^ Editor, T. N. S. (9 August 2015). "A questionable existence: 52 katchi abadis of Islamabad". TNS - The News on Sunday. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2019.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  12. ^ ""Aurat Jagi": The Left Way". The Friday Times. 13 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  13. ^ "How to deal with katchi abadis". The Express Tribune. October 22, 2010. Archived from the original on October 26, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Hanif, Intikhab (13 January 2020). "Pakistan to have coherent national security policy by year end: Moeed". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  15. ^ "The courageous resistance of Okara's women". sister-hood magazine. A Fuuse production by Deeyah Khan. 14 June 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  16. ^ "AWP`s weekend political school ends". epaper.dawn.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  17. ^ Deol, Taran (22 November 2019). "Why students in Pakistan, like in JNU, are raising azadi slogans". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  18. ^ Abbasi, Kashif (27 January 2020). "Higher Education Commission opposes restoration of student unions". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Khaisor incident: The untold story". The Express Tribune. February 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  20. ^ Amjad, Farah (20 March 2019). "Making #MeToo Work in Pakistan". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  21. ^ "The Good Fight". Newsline. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  22. ^ Yasin, Aamir (12 March 2017). "'Feminism is not a western concept'". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  23. ^ "Women Democratic Front to be launched on March 8". Awami Workers Party, Pakistan. 14 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  24. ^ "WDF demands to repeal ban on media coverage of KP's girls' schools | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  25. ^ "Aurat Azadi March: WDF launched with a pledge to fight patriarchy, social injustice and violence". The Morning Mail. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  26. ^ "One man the hero in capital's Aurat March". The Express Tribune. March 9, 2019. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  27. ^ "Aurat Azadi March takes back the streets on Women's Day | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2019-10-19. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  28. ^ "Aurat Azadi March for emancipation today | The High Asia Herald". Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  29. ^ Sirur, Simrin (5 March 2020). "Pakistan prepares for Aurat Azadi March but Lal Masjid clerics call it obscene". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  30. ^ Mahmood, Aisha (4 March 2020). "Extremist mob vandalises mural of two women painted by Aurat March organizers". Business Recorder. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  31. ^ Yasin, Aamir (11 March 2020). "Aurat March organisers demand judicial probe into Islamabad stone pelting incident". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  32. ^ "When you have to stone us into submission". Daily Times. 14 March 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Aurat March attacked with bricks, sticks in Islamabad - Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  34. ^ "Scenes at Aurat March Islamabad". The Nation. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  35. ^ "Govt must announce 'Aurat Emergency': WDF". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  36. ^ "Islamabad's Women's Day march was met with violent opposition from conservative agitators · Global Voices". Global Voices. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  37. ^ "The authorities' slow reaction to attack on Aurat March in Islamabad by JUI-F | Dialogue | thenews.com.pk". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  38. ^ Staff, Images (5 March 2020). "Aurat March's beautiful mural was vandalised in Islamabad. Are men really that afraid?". Images. Archived from the original on 2 September 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
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