A unique cattle market has inaugurated in Karachi, where women will be both sellers and buyers of sacrificial animals for Eid ul Adha, the Islamic festival of sacrifice.
The market, located at Taiser Town on the Northern Bypass, near Shadman number 2 and Sareena mobile market, the brainchild of Ruqqaiya Fareed, the chief Organizer, and a social activist. She said she wanted to facilitate women with no male relatives (mahram) to accompany them to the regular cattle markets, which men dominate.
“Many women in our society face difficulties in buying animals for Eid ul Adha because they do not have mahram or feel uncomfortable going to the men’s markets. So I thought, why not create a market where women can buy and sell animals alone, without any hassle or harassment,” she told the media.
She said the market also aimed at empowering women who raise and care for animals throughout the year in rural areas but do not get a fair share of the profit when they sell them. “The main goal of this market is to give women a platform to showcase their hard work and earn a decent income from their livestock. They can also learn from each other and exchange ideas on improving their animal husbandry skills,”.
The chief Organizer further said that the market also provide training for women to make them more powerful and independent in the livestock sector, which often seen as a male-dominated field. “We want to equip women with the knowledge and skills they need to run their businesses and manage their finances. We want to show them that they can do anything they set their minds to,”.
The market, which delayed due to storm and cyclone issues, expected to open soon with the support of the Sindh government. Ms. Fareed said that some facilities were not fully ready due to weather issues, and some men were still at the site. But she assured me that the market would be exclusively for women from next year.
She Told the media that women were very excited and enthusiastic about buying animals by themselves this year from this market, which would offer special discounts and free entry for families. She added that a food street would also set up at the market to provide a complete package for women.
Her plan is to expand this market to other cities in Pakistan by next year and hoped it would inspire more women to participate in the livestock sector.
Eid ul Adha is one of the most important festivals in Islam, which commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son Ismail (AS) as an act of obedience to God. God intervened and provided him with a lamb instead. In remembrance of this event, Muslims sacrifice animals and distribute their meat among family, friends, and the poor. The festival falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This year, it is expected to start on June 28 in Pakistan.
