Gender Research Programme: SPDC launches studies on displacement, violence against women

The Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) launched two research reports on Tuesday titled 'Gender Dimension of Development Induced Displacement and Resettlement: A Case Study of Lyari Expressway' and 'Socioeconomic Cost of Violence against Women: A Case Study of Karachi'. The studies were conducted under the centre's Gender Research Program, which was funded by the Norwegian embassy.
The reports highlighted the plight of women who had been displaced, dispossessed and devastated in the name of development and those hit by violence. The report on Lyari Expressway was shared by Nadeem Ahmad, SPDC's senior economist. He said that the study examined gender-differentiated impacts of involuntary displacement on livelihood resources of affected communities.
He said that areas covered in the household survey were Hawkes Bay, Taiser and Baldia towns. According to him, findings showed a host of flaws in design and implementation of the project. "For example, no socioeconomic survey and environmental impact assessment studies had been carried out before starting the project. Moreover, the study indicates a lack of co-ordination among stakeholders and participatory approach in planning and absence of rehabilitation plan at the time of inception" Nadeem Ahmad underlined.
He was of the view that the post-displacement transition period remained exceptionally painful for the affected communities. "Women suffered more as compared to men in terms of loss of employment and income generating opportunities because their percentage in this category was 77.78 and 51.19, respectively, were men. Education of boys was affected with 40.1 per cent, facing permanent discontinuation because of displacement and unaffordability as compared to 32.2 per cent of girls. Household income declined drastically with 42.7 per cent of the survey households having zero-income during the transition period," he pointed out.
Commenting on deterioration in living standards, the report showed that 56.1 per cent of the surveyed households had lived in "pakka" houses before displacement against 48.4 per cent of households at present. It indicated that displacement caused deterioration in living standards.
Furthermore, the availability of basic facilities such as water, electricity, gas and running sanitation system were quite critical issues in resettlement areas. The overall well-being declined by 50 per cent between periods of displacement and resettlement at the household level.
Women showed higher evidence of suffering than men at every stage with a gender gap of five per cent in well being during transition period, which eventually increased to nine per cent. The analysis indicated that coping capacities of women were undermined because of permanent discontinuation of education, loss of livelihood opportunities and an inability to improve the delivery of social services at the household level.
The research concluded that policy for development-induced displacement and rehabilitation should be gender-sensitive, participatory and based on comprehensive vulnerability and risk to minimise inter-generational improvement and risks. The second report, the Socioeconomic Cost of Violence against Women, was presented by SPDC's Managing Director Khalida Ghous. She said that the report focused on the multitude of direct costs incurred by the victims and their families. The cost ranges from unit cost estimates of medical treatment, police and legal services. The report also contained a set of recommendations.
All in all, 50 women victims of violence were interviewed in the city. The research tools included interviews and questionnaires. The report also revealed the unit cost of victims of violence (individuals), including medical treatment Rs 9, 600, cost of police services (including under-table payments) Rs 34, 900, legal action Rs 48,200. Other findings revealed that victims displayed a lack of confidence in the police system confirming that underreporting is a rampant in the country. Other SPDC members, including former Justice Majid Rizwan, also spoke on research studies of the Social Policy and Development Centre.