Aurat Foundation organized an advocacy meeting on Suggestions on Women’s Empowerment for Election Manifestos of Political Parties with members of Manifesto Committee of PTI on 9 Jan 2013 at AF office, Lahore.  The Manifesto Committee Ms Mehnaz Rafi and Ms  Shamsa Ali Advocate participated  in the meeting.

Members of PTI manifesto committee agreed upon AF suggestions and ensure to include the following point for election manifesto:

Constitutional review and revise the constitution to ensure that no Article/Clause negates the fundamental principle of equality and non-discrimination stated in Article 25. Repeal all laws which discriminate against and lead to the oppression of women, minorities and vulnerable groups. A Uniform Civil Code will prepare to replace several different personal status laws. Enact new laws and strengthen the existing laws to address women’s and girls’ specific issues and needs, including inter alia: domestic violence; ‘honour’ killings; girls’ age at marriage; giving away of women and girls in compensation to resolve disputes. Undertake legislative measures to ensure that domestic laws are brought into harmony with the State Party’s legally binding commitment to adhere to its ratification of CEDAW, CRC, ILO, UNHRC and other international Conventions. Raise resource allocations for social sector development with a priority focus on Education 5% of GDP and also allocation for Heath 5 % of the GDP. Re-structure the State’s relations with International Financial Institutions IFM, WB ADB   in order to eliminate the negative impact on the poor, particularly on women and girls. Gender parity in appointments at all family courts, sessions and civil courts; Ban on Illegal ‘judicial’ systems, and review the alternate dispute resolution systems. Restore the Local Government system in all provinces. Further increase their proportion from 17% to 33% in senate, NA and PA. Revise and amend the Political Parties Order, 2002, making it mandatory for all Political Parties to hold regular intra-Party elections for all positions. Ensure 33% representation of women in the Party membership and all decision-making bodies, e.g. central and provincial executive committees, parliamentary boards, budget and manifesto committees. Adopt a progressively increased number of directly elected women within the Party’s ranks. Award at least 15% tickets to women on winnable general seats in elections for Provincial and National Assemblies. Strengthen and empower women’s wings and establish women’s wings where they do not exist. Increase Social Protection measures, e.g. unemployment compensation and Social Safety Nets, carefully tailored to prevent politicized charity handouts, to address the alarming increase in women’s poverty. Legislation on Home based Workers and DVB on priority basis strengthen existing legislation against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Collect data on GBV, disaggregated by sex, age and geography; compile, analyze and publicly disseminate it through the Government channels, and establishment of PCSWs.

In the end of meeting, they highlighted the role of AF regarding women political participation. They also comments that AF playing its role as a torch bearer for women especially political activists.