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Women Democratic Front (WDF) is an independent socialist-feminist organization based in Pakistan. It was founded in Islamabad on 8 March 2018 by Ismat Shahjahan who is a feminist and human rights activist since 33 years.

WDF aims to unite women across the country to build a vibrant socialist feminist movement to transform the tenacity of International Women’s Day celebration into real means. The manifesto and constitution of WDF strives to a broad-based struggle against capitalism, patriarchy, religious fascism and national oppression and Pakistan’s authoritarian political system.

Women’s Democratic Front (WDF) was inaugurated after the Aurat March, 2018 when a large number of students working women, intellectuals and political activists gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Background

Women Democratic Front (WDF) is a women’s organization based in Pakistan which aims to build an organic socialist-feminist mass resistance movement by bringing together struggles of working-class women (doing mental or physical labour) from rural and urban areas. WDF adopts democratic and peaceful and means of resistance.

Foundation

Women Democratic Front (WDF), was formally established as a resistance movement on International Women's Day International Working on March 8, 2018 in Islamabad at a foundation congress by delegates from provincial units which were functional since 2014. The congress laid the foundation of Aurat March in Pakistan.

Ideology

WDF considers violence, discrimination and patriarchal oppression as part of overall oppression and exploitation of the masses in Pakistan on the basis of class, gender and nation – pillars of capitalism, imperialism, feudalism and religious extremism. WDf is committed to continue its struggle till the women’s right to life, their emancipation from all forms of oppression, progress and peace; and to establish people’s democracy in Pakistan. Their ideology is described by socialist-feminism and history of women's political struggles.

Organizational Structure

WDF is a federal organization with country-wide presence as four national units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab/Islamabad; Baluchistan and a federal unit. WDF also aims to make units in the disputed territories of Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir to organize women of these areas making them part of the movement.

WDF has following intertwined elected structures: 1. ‘Congress’: a political structure for political and ideological decision making 2. ‘Council’: an organizational structure comprising of secretariat called ‘Cabinet’ for implementing decisions for day to day affairs

These structures exist at three levels of district, federal and provincial/national levels.

Leadership

The Federal Cabinet of WDF includes comprises five members: President: Ismat Shahjahan General Secretary: Alya Bakhsal Secretary Information and Publishing: Tooba Syed Secretary Education and Art: Shahzadi Hussain

Activities/Key concerns

References

1. ^ "Women's Democratic Front launched to build a vibrant, socialist and a feminist movement". Daily Times. 9 March 2018.
2. "WDF demands to repeal ban on media coverage of KP's girls' schools | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk.
3. "Reflection of increasing awareness, acceptance of women's rights". www.thenews.com.pk.
4. "Women Democratic Front to be launched on March 8". Awami Workers Party, Pakistan. 14 January 2018.
5. Editor, T. N. S. (17 March 2019). "What made Aurat March possible?". TNS - The News on Sunday. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
6. "'State policies, laws discriminatory towards women'". Business Recorder. 9 March 2018.
7. "Leadership". Women Democratic Front.
8. "WDF demands to repeal ban on media coverage of KP's girls' schools | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk.