Efforts afoot to address grievances of affected women: PCSW chief

Chairperson of Punjab Commission of the Status of Women Fauzia Viqar called for effective monitoring of the performance of relevant department obliged to deliver services and address the grievances of women. "Adequate efforts are being made to address the grievances of the women survivors of discrimination, violence and enable them to develop on equitable basis," she said, speaking at a workshop on promotion of gender equity, empowerment and justice, organized by Baidarie, an NGO.
Fauzia Viqar stressed on persistent struggle to make situation better through evolutionary process. She alerted that any abrupt change would neither be appropriate nor sustainable. Director General Social Welfare Government of the Punjab Sajid Zafar Dall has said that government is committed for equitable chance of development to all of its citizens. In this regard, he said, many strategic initiatives were taken to pace up the process of women empowerment and this struggle would continue with more vigilance and vigour in the days to come.
IDEAs Chief Executive Officer Salman Abid said that in Pakistan several policies and law for women development have been formulated. All of these are good in themselves but disappointment gets increased when we see poor and selective implementation of these policies and laws.
Highlighting the objectives of the conference Arshad Mehmood Mirza stressed on need for enacting and implementation of gender responsive policies and laws for ending GBV. Irfan Mufti presented following recommendations which were approved by the participants of the session for eliminating gender based discrimination and violence. He called for persistent knowledge building, awareness raising and capacity building of parliamentarians, women's Parliamentary Caucuses, local government representatives and political workers. He said this would help maximize the level of policy formulation, promulgation of laws and across the board implementation of laws for ending gender based discrimination and violence. He proposed 5 percent quota out of the total of seats for representation to women workers, peasants and other middle class women so that they could get leadership role in formation and functioning of different policy and decision making forums. He suggested that rape and sexual violence against children must be added to section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Act so that the offenders may be prosecuted with the same vigilance as is given to perpetrators of acts of terror. He urged that women should be provided with equitable opportunities, spaces and options for their socioeconomic and political empowerment through formulation of affirmative policies, gender responsive resource allocation and fixation of gender appropriate quota in jobs etc.
Baidarie president Hina Noreen, South Asia Partnership Pakistan Executive Director Muhammad Tahseen, HomeNet Pakistan Executive Director Umme Laila, WISE Executive Director Bushra Khaliq, Dr Nousheen Hamid and Risham Adnan and members of civil society attended the workshop.