Concerned mothers group of Aurat Foundation meeting MPAs, District Local Government and Education Officers for the implementation of tobacco control  laws.

Aurat Foundation signed an MoU with ICMA on issues related to gender and with special focus on youth engagement on tobacco and emerging nicotine products control and making ICMA a hub for youth activism

Safdar Raza conducted a session with all members of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on legislation on tobacco control in GB on 10 January at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services.

An awareness session was conducted for the students of Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA), Islamabad regarding tobacco and its novel emerging nicotine products. A total of hundred plus students were a part of this counselling session which also included teachers and a few other faculty members.

 

A session with 15 laborer was conducted at Kohinoor Textile Mills Rawalpindi.

Mr. Safdar Raza, Ms. Mehak Fatima and HR Officer Ms. Rabia spoke in detail the menace of tobacco uses and how it is taking toll in individual health and society’s wellbeing as well as depriving people from financial health.

 

A refresher session was arranged for the Task Leaders of the Concerned Mothers’ Group at Islamabad. 17 task leaders participated and presented progress of their work plans they had prepared during their first orientation on 25-26 September 2024.

Kanwal Niazi, Assistant Programme Officer, Aurat Foundation, Islamabad head office, attended the South Asia Regional Youth Conference on Tobacco Control on 6th and 7th December 2024 at the Grand Cinnamon Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka, organized by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).

It was a two day conference, attended by participants from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Participants from partner organizations included SPARC, CHROMATIC and Nari Maitree. The aim of the conference was to highlight why the voices of youth matter and to make them aware of the harmful effects of tobacco. Group activities were based on political power mapping and youth engagement strategies for digital and social media campaigns against tobacco.

A panel discussion was also held on building a support network for youth against tobacco and addressing all the tobacco issues through multiple lenses. All the members worked in groups for the development of youth leadership strategy – plan of action for the year 2025. To wrap up the conference, all the participants received a Certificate of Participation and shared their feedback about the conference.

 

Aurat Foundation signed MoU with Inspector General Prisons, Government of Balochistan to Enhance Living Conditions for Women and Juvenile Inmates

 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the Aurat Foundation and the Office of Inspector General Prisons, Government of Balochistan, at the IG Prisons Office. The MoU was signed by Mr. Allauddin Khilji, Resident Director of Aurat Foundation, and Mr. Ishaque Zehri, Superintendent of Central Jail Quetta, under the supervision of Malik Shuja Uddin Kasi, Inspector General of Prisons. The partnership aims to improve the living conditions and welfare of women and juvenile inmates in Quetta District Jail throughout the project period. This collaboration paves the way for the implementation of the “Enforcement of Technical Training and Rehabilitation Program for Juvenile Inmates in Quetta District Jail 2024-2025,” with the financial support of Muslim Charity. The partnership underscores a shared commitment to promoting the rights and welfare of women and juvenile inmates through education, rehabilitation, and infrastructural improvements.

The MoU formalizes the implementation of the project “Enforcement of Technical Training and Rehabilitation Program for Juvenile Inmates in Quetta District Jail 2024-2025,” with the financial support of Muslim Charity. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to uphold human and fundamental rights, including the specific rights of women and juveniles as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan, while endorsing the vision of the Prisons Department.

This partnership include:

•            Providing educational courses such as Fine Arts and IT for juvenile inmates.

•            Promoting sports activities (both indoor and outdoor) for physical and mental well-being.

•            Enhancing the capacity of jail staff through targeted training programs.

•            Offering mental health support to address psychological challenges faced by inmates.

•            Supplying raw materials for vocational activities benefiting women inmates.

•            Conducting repair and maintenance (Whitewash) of juvenile barracks and seven mosques within Quetta Jail.

•            Installing shade structures for the football and sports area to improve recreational facilities.

This collaboration signifies a holistic approach to rehabilitation, combining education, mental health, recreation, and infrastructural improvements. The project is a testament to the shared vision of Aurat Foundation and the Prisons Department to create a more humane and supportive environment for incarcerated individuals, particularly women and juveniles.

Both parties are dedicated to working closely to ensure the successful implementation of this initiative, fostering meaningful and sustainable changes in the lives of the inmates.

Provincial Minister for Human Rights Ministry, Punjab Ramesh Singh Arora said We all together work for the cause of Tobacco Reduction.

Naseem Bano, General Secretary PMLN talks about Tobacco usage reduction and need to aware Mothers.

A policy dialogue was conducted between the MNAs hailing from various provinces on 23rd October 2024. The MNAs discussed in length the lacunas in the existing laws vis-à-vis tobacco control and deliberated upon various options for amendments. Taking benefit from the presence of the deputy speaker of the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the parliamentarians discuss various venues of regulation on new emerging products at the provincial level.

The MNAs of the Women Parliamentary Caucus agreed to form an ‘Anti-tobacco Group’ for coordination and concentrate on issues related to tobacco taxation and control.