Representatives of Civil Society organisation have demanded of the provincial government to expedite legislation regarding prevention of early child marriage and domestic violence against women in Khyber Pakthunkhwa. Speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Friday, Syeda Quratul Ain Hashmi from Blue Veins Organisation and women right activist said that the incumbent provincial government had made tall claims about record legislations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
But, she said it was yet not present the two important bills, including Child Marriage Restraint Amendment Bill 2017 KP and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2017 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Quratul Ain Hashmi said that number of violence cases against women have rapidly increased due to absence of any preventive law in KP. She referred a report of United Nations, according to which about 12 percent of women in Pakistan (4.9 million) aged 18-49 are simultaneously deprived in four Sustainable Development Goals; child marriages, education, healthcare, and employment.
She informed that almost 24 percent of women belonging to the richest households and 63 percent from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are married before age 18. The data highlights women from marginalized ethnic groups living in poor rural households fare worse across a variety of well-being and empowerment, she added.
Flanked by the civil society members Imran Takar, Taimur Kamal, Qurratul-Ain and Mah Noor, she stressed that legislation to protect women against gender-based violence is important in itself. However, she said there were very few laws to protect women's rights generally in Pakistan and particularly in KP.
Taimur Kamal said, "Domestic violence is an inexcusable act that needs to be controlled on every level so that the affected women and children can live safely".
"It was the right time to lobby with relevant people and pass women-friendly laws from the Provincial Assembly", he stressed.
The civil society activists said that globally as well as locally, violence against women was the most tolerated form of violence. It is time that the problems being faced by women should be seen in a broader context and urged women parliamentarians to establish strong linkages in order to support each other in efforts towards women empowerment.
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