ISLAMABAD: Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Nilofer Bakhtiar said media can significantly contribute towards change by raising the awareness about the societal norms surrounding Gender Based Violence (GBV) and its reshaping.

Talking to APP on Sunday, she said that NCSW exhorts media to play a positive, ethical and responsible role in highlighting these critical issues of GBV through their various platforms.

She said the NCSW called upon the criminal justice system to end the prevailing culture of impunity regarding cases of gender-based violence.

NCSW would take relevant measures including the establishment of inquiry committees, awareness-raising in their institutions, displaying the Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Act at Workplace on their website as well as at prominent spots on campuses, and equipping female students with necessary skills and knowledge to report and take action against such incidents, she added.

Nilofar Bakhtiar added that the students unions can safeguard the interests of students and hold academic institutions accountable when students’ rights are transgressed. The restoration of student unions within universities and academic institutions is advised, she added.