A group of 13 Pakistani professionals working on gender-based violence gathered on Thursday to share lessons learned during their recent study tour to Kenya. The study tour was funded by the US government through US Agency for International Development (USAID) in support of Pakistan's first country-wide strategy to end gender-based violence.
"Violence against anyone, anywhere, is neither a private matter nor a local issue. While the blows may fall on an individual woman, it is the entire community that is degraded," said USAID Deputy Mission Director Karen Freeman. "The United States is proud to support Pakistani institutions and communities working to address gender-based violence issues."
Participants of the tour came from the judiciary, crisis centers, civil society organisations, and the USAID-funded Gender Equity Program. These specialists will now serve as Master Trainers and work to introduce best practices across Pakistan in handling cases of gender-based violence. "This USAID-funded study tour has helped us understand how to build effective systems for helping the survivors of gender-based violence," said Madiha Latif, Incharge Panah Shelter. "We also saw how important it is to combine the efforts of all the organisations working to end gender-based violence."-PR