Thread by @PoliticalPrism_

#Pakistan faced one of the biggest refugee crises in the world after independence in 1947. Estimates range that more than 10 million people were displaced after Partition. Fatima Jinnah set up a Women’s Relief Committee (WRF) that catered to refugees coming into Pak.#WomenDay2023

Two years later, in 1949, the committee evolved into the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) under Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan as its founder.

APWA’s focus was on women’s social welfare, including girls’ education, health, and income generation opportunities. Being an apolitical org, APWA worked with civilian and military governments to achieve its goals, such as building schools, colleges & health facilities for women.

During APWA’s heyday, the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance (MFLO), 1961, was enacted. It was the first piece of legislation that set procedural limits on men’s rights to divorce their wives and allowed women to have child custody and maintenance rights.
Reference: DAWN