Jahez khori band karo-A campaign against dowry

Dowry is an overburdening curse that has engulfed our society. The unpleasant custom has taken the form of blackmail, reluctantly accepted and fulfilled by the bride’s family to marry off their girl child. Parents gather a sizeable amount of property, money and material belongings in their quest to fulfill their religious duty. It’s about time that this age-old tradition that has gained patronage in our society be rooted out.

Aurat Foundation Lahore team took a stand against this hapless practice rampant in our society spreading awareness about this superfluous menace spoiling the lives of millions. We showed our commitment against this tradition by stamping our hands with solidarity. 
 

 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy has visited the Aurat Foundation office.

15 A group of officers from the 46TH Common group of Civil Services Academy, Walton Lahore has visited the Aurat Foundation office on 3rd January 2019 for insight and analysis of field & community work. They selected the Women Development Department, Punjab and Aurat Foundation for the to get familiar and to compare Public and private sector working structures.

Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. Aurat Foundation team led a presentation for CSPs to narrate the history, objectives, Mission vision and outreach and networking of the organization .Moreover Highlights and achievements of different Programs like GEP.AAWAZ Voice & Accountability Project, Creating Spaces OXFAM Project and other important initiatives/Campaigns were also shared.


While furthering the session, CSP officers raised different questions regarding various systems of the organization, legal framework their human resources policy, key issues and challenges, recruitment policy and procedures for better conceptual clarity.


A short discussion session between some selected member parliaments from different political parties (who came creating spaces OXFAM exchange visit in Lahore) and Parliamentarians also responded to the question by CSP officers regarding the challenges of law making process and its effective implementation process and how best they can support in minimizing the gap between institutions, public and service delivery departments.


After the brief meeting they had a round of office visit to different sections and library and appreciated the publication and IEC Material. 
 

Round table discussion with parliamentarians Punjab

Round table discussion with parliamentarians Punjab held on 6th Dec 2018. Member provincial assembly Punjab, Mumkin alliance members participated. Provincial head of National Commission on Human Rights Mrs Kishwer  Shaheen , Awan Additional IG Mr Abu Baker Khuda Bukhsh, AIG gender crimes Mr Muhammad Shahid was participated and speak about the situation of violence against women and girls in Punjab province.   Member alliance shared the alarming situation of VAW cases, and the constraint of budgetary issues of Violence against Women Center Punjab, they also demanded the formulation of rules of business of VAWC. The representative of UN women focused on survivor’s condition. Member provincial assembly promised for put the resolution in assembly for the smooth working of VAWC district Multan.

 

Punjab Women Safety Audit Steering Committee

Women Safety Audit steering committee meeting was chaired by Ms. Irum Bukhari Sahiba, Secretary Women Development, Government of Punjab. Meeting was started with the formal welcome note and round of introduction of participants. She shared the background of establishment of department. She also shared the role and responsibilities, efforts toward gender equalities, achievement of department. Sharing the survey findings of working women issues which was conducted by WDD, transport, housing and day care were on top priority issues. She also shared that PM, CM and Minister for Women Development are very much keen to promote gender equality. In this regard, a committee has been notified for pursuance of 100 days agenda of women empowerment. She also appreciated civil society and role of international organizations for achieving the goal of gender equality in Pakistan. She welcomed the initiative and gave her commitment to lead the study.  

Ms. Mumtaz Mughal shared the objectives of Women Safety Audit in Public Transport and Public Places. She shared the background of pervious women safety audit process. The study was co-led by the Women’s Development Department (WDD) Punjab, conducted by the Aurat Foundation with financial support of UN Women, in collaboration with the PCSW, SRU, and the Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA). She acknowledged the support of transport department, LTC and Metro for conducting the study. Keeping in view of strong strategic partnership with women development department she requested to women development department to co led the study and all departments for becoming member of steering committee. 
Ms. Ra,na Malik (Team lead for Women Safety Audit) presented the scope of study, methodology timeframe and tool kit. She shared that women safety audit in public transport and public place will be conducted in Rawalpindi. In this regard, district technical working group has been formed. A group of students will be engaged to collect data collection. One day orientation session of enumerator will be conducted on methodology of survey.
 

Dialogue with MPAs on Promtion and Protection of Socio-Economic Rights of Women Working in Agriculture Sectors in Punjab

Aurat Foundation organized a dialogue with Members Provincial Assembly today in Hotel Avari. Panel included Ms. Mehnaz Rafi, Women Rights Activist, Mr. Mohammad Shahid, Assistant Director Labour and Mr. Zaigham, Director Labour, Labour and Human Resource Department Punjab, Mr. Safdar Abbas, Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department, Additional Secretary Agriculture Department and representatives of Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Women Development Department. More than 25 MPAs participated in dialogue. The aim to hold the dialogue was to share the gaps identified in its “Participatory Policy Assessment” in the context of GSP+ and SDGs. 

 Ms. Mumtaz Mughal, Resident Director AF welcomed the guests and briefly explained the objective of the dialogue. The Participatory Policy Assessment Report highlighted the key findings as 65% women work in the fields and homes too, 83% women have no access to their family inheritance documents so that they could not utilize the facilities of micro credit schemes and modern technology, 85% women were working exactly equal to the men but were getting low wages. 92% women have no access to the health facilities while 68% women have to work during their pregnancy period without proper food and nutrition facilities. 87% women don’t have knowledge about women protection legislation, and 90% women don’t have information of their right to unionization. This is all due to a major discrepancy that majority percentage of these women are illiterate and silent/inactive workers.   To resolve these challenges, it is recommended that there is a dire need to collect sex and gender disaggregated data to address the gender disparity faced by these women. Moreover, social safety nets should include these women in their networks so that they could be the part of EOBI, PESSI, BISP, Khidmat Card, Zakat, and Bait ul Maal etc.

Mr. Zaigham, Director Labour, Labour and Human Resource Department Punjab, gave his full commitment on implementation of recommendations of PPA conducted by AF. He endorsed the legal amendments and shared that labour department already working on legal framework. This is right time to share the recommendation with relevant department. 
Mr. Shahid endorsed the recommendations and gave his commitment to include theses recommendation in 100days plan of government of Punjab. 


MPAs also showed their concern and gave their commitment to take up the important issue at assembly floor as well as with party leadership. They also pledge to move the resolution in upcoming session. 


Ms. Mehnaz Rafi highlighted the struggle of women to protect socio economic rights of women working in agriculture sector in Pakistan. She also extended the concluding remarks to the participants.