The civil society activists on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club to condemn the Peshawar school attack.  The protesters asked the government to prepare a clear policy against terrorism. 

The civil society activists on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club to condemn the Peshawar school attack.  The protesters asked the government to prepare a clear policy against terrorism. 

The civil society activists on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club to condemn the Peshawar school attack.  The protesters asked the government to prepare a clear policy against terrorism. 

During the last few years, many significant laws have been passed by the parliaments in the country, however, these could not be implemented effectively.  Civil society and women’s rights activists expected notable change in the situation of women in Pakistan.  The facts are other way round.  Thousands of women are still tortured or face one or another kind of violence.  These views were expressed by Ms Rabeea Hadi, Director Advocacy, Aurat Foundation, during a public solidarity event titled ‘Apno Ki Yaad’ on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2014.

Giving a situation analysis of violence against in Pakistan she said that during the nine month period i.e. January – September 2014, 1543 cases of kidnapping / abducting women were reported i.e. 4 women per day; 1256 women were murdered i.e. 3 women per day; 1149 women were raped and gang-raped i.e. 3 women per day which shows 17% increase compared to last year; 708 women committed suicide at the rate of 2 women per day; 604 women were killed in the name of ‘honour’ i.e. 2 women per day; and 392 cases of domestic violence were reported during the period i.e. 1 case per day. 

Similarly, despite the passage of The Criminal Law (Third Amendment) Act, 2011(the laws which deals with the anti-women customary practices like wanni, swara etc), forced marriages and child marriages still being made e.g. during the nine month period 22 cases of forced marriages and 7 cases of child marriage were reported.  Thus, a total of 7450 of violence against women were reported during the nine months i.e. January to September, 2014, sufficient to realize the increase in violence against women in Pakistan.

Ms Asyia Nasir, Member National Assembly, JUI-F, during her address to the public rally, condemned the forced conversions of minority women and girls and their forced marriage to Muslims.  She said that ‘women’s rights’ shall be valued, respected and implemented as ‘human rights’. In order to end domestic violence from each and every home, we need an effective legislation on domestic violence, she further emphasized. Each religion honours and respects women’s rights. She said that for effective  implementation of women friendly laws, the government, law enforcement agencies, human rights organization and civil society organizations shall work hand-in-hand.

While giving the key findings of the events under ‘16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women’, Ms Feroza Zahra, Nataional Programme Manager, AAWAZ Programme, Aurat Foundation, said that women, religious and ethnic minorities and persons with disability are the main focus of AAWAZ Programme.  Giving details of the activities with its partner communities in 450 UC’s of 45 districts, she said that data from 26 districts shows that more than 14,823 people attended these activities out of which 10,051 were women; 128,464 signatures/hand prints are received from 39 districts which pledged to ‘Stop domestic violence, early and forced marriages’; ‘Apno ki yaad’ memorial in each district at UC level to commemorate the women of that particular area who died and lost their lives due to violence were also held.

‘Meet our sisters / Meri hamjoliyan’ were arranged in 45 districts visits to Dar-ul-Aman, shelter homes, jails, meeting HIV aid patients, persons with disabilities to discuss the issues and challenges of these intuitions and people living there; ‘Meeting with legislators / Siyasi Bethak’ meetings arranged where representatives of various political parties, lawyers, media etc. were invited for a discourse on need of legislation for stopping early child and forced marriages was initiated at district level. Provincial conferences on need of legislation for stopping early child and forced marriages were held in Peshawar, Lahore as well.

Ms Anbreen Ajaib, from SPO, that Pakistan has brilliant girls like Malala Yousafzai, icon of girls’ education, and of Irfa Karim an example of brilliant scientific mind.  Ms Shazia of SUNGI Development Foundation, said that apart from the platform of AAWAZ Programme, we also need awareness raising on individual level as well.  A young girl with disabilities, during her address, demanded that the rights of persons with disabilities shall also be considered as human rights.

At the end of the public event, the participants passed resolutions for ending violence against women.  Mr Akram Khurshid, National Progamme Manager, AAWAZ Programme, SPO, read the resolutions for the participants and get those passed.  The major resolutions included: effective legislation and its implementation for ending violence against women and children; domestic violence to be declared as crime; law on marrying little girls be amended and 18 years be declared as the marriage age at the least; the law dealing with the anti-women customary practices like wanni, swara etc be implemented effectively and jurisdiction of the law shall be extended to regions like Gilgit-Baltistan, FATA and PATA; institutions and organizations supporting the violence-affected-women need to be strengthen further, so that women can get medo-legal support through one-window operation.

Renown poet Ms Kishwar Naheed and Ms Alya Mirza read their poems on ending violence against women and girls.  A signature campaign was also launched during the event demanding ending violence and bringing important legislation and ensuring effective implementation of such laws.    

Celebrating Malala Nobel Peace Prize:

In separate event, Aurat Foundation in collaboration with Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalist (RIUJ) organized a live screening of the award ceremony of Malala getting the Nobel Peace Prize.  The participants appreciated Malala’s struggle for girls education and her courage to stand against all odds in this struggle.  The were inspired by her image that ‘when worlds is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.  

The public event, rally and Malala’s award taking ceremony were organized by the consortium partners of AAWAZ Programme – a five-year programme to strengthen democratic processes in Pakistan by making it more open, inclusive and accountable to citizens. It is funded by DFID and managed by DAI. The programme is being implemented in 45 districts across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces by Aurat Foundation, SAP-Pk, SPO and Sungi Development Foundation.

Aurat Foundation Karachi office organized the book launching ceremony of the research study done by Ms Sarah Zaman on International Human Right Day i.e. December 10, 2014, at Marriott Hotel, Karachi.  The study focused on two major rights of women – right of choice of marriage and right to inheritance. This day was also significant in that it marked the end of the 16-Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign. It was widely attended by all stakeholders including parliamentarians and members of the civil society.

The event started with Ms Sarah Zaman’s presentation giving the details of the study and the challenges and problems she and her colleagues faced in carrying out this research.  It was followed by observations and opinion by a group of panelists which included the Chief Guest Mr Ghulam Qadir Thebo, IGP Police, Mr Khalique Shaikh, DIG South, Ms Nusrat Abbasi, MPA (PML-F), Ms Erum Khalid, MPA (PPPP), and Ms Noor Naz Agha, Advocate of Supreme Court. All the panelists commended the initiative and efforts of Ms Sarah Zaman and her team.

Mr Ghulam Qaidr Thebo appreciated the recommendations made in the research study and emphasized that until and unless we focus on education our problems won’t end. He shared that his department is in the process of making the lodging of FIR convenient for the complainant, and also that various training modules are being developed and executed for sensitization of all those involved.

The event ended with a Vote of Thanks by Ms Mahnaz Rahman, Resident Director, Aurat Foundation, Karachi. 

As part of 16-Days of Activism to End Violence against Women, Aurat foundation, in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), organized an activity on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Arts Council Auditorium, Karachi. The event started with keynote speakers and followed by live performances from the community members around. Ms Mahnaz Rahman, Resident Director Aurat Foundation Karachi office, gave a history of 16-Days’ campaign i.e.to create awareness on gender based violence.

Dr Masuma Hasan, Former Secretary Cabinet Division, and President, Aurat Foundation’s Board of Governors, talked about importance of implementation and how laws could be made stronger and implemented effectively. “We have to established a platform and create awareness about the pro-women laws that already exist.  Ms Shala Qureshi, from police department, said that one could not just criticize but needed to take action and responsibility.  The next part of the event consisted of lively performances by various community members about violence against women. They performed skits that touched upon critical issues like acid throwing, early and forced marriages and other prominent issues. Various stalls were also displayed by different organizations. 

Aurat Foundation, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Special Education, organized a policy dialogue, titled ‘Road Map for Justice and Equality for Persons with Disability (PWD)’ on December 3, 2014, the International Day of Persons with Disability, at F-9 Park, Islamabad. The event was supported by AUSDFAT, Trocaire and Women Learning Partnership (WLP).  

Presenting an in-depth analysis of gaps in implementation of Prevention of Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Law Amendment) Act 2011, Aurat Foundation, in collaboration with Trocaire, on Tuesday launched a study titled ‘Forced Marriages and Inheritance Deprivation. ’

Undertaken in 6 districts of Pakistan, the study was conducted between 2013 and 2014 and assesses the implementation of the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act which criminalizes and prescribes punishments for forced marriages of girls.

The law also criminalizes depriving women of their inheritance and comprises amendments and insertions to the Pakistan Penal Code of 1980 making practices such as watta satta, badl-e-sulah, and marriage with Quran illegal.  

The study, researched and written by Sara Zaman, terms Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act as weak law for lack of clarity over many terms contained in the text. It points out lack of awareness regarding the law amongst law enforcers, lawyers and general public and says that police officers have no means, resources or inclination to investigate matters involving domestic disturbances caused by forced marriages or inheritance related violence. 

Ms Rabeea Hadi, Director Advocacy, Aurat Foundation, in her opening remarks, briefed the audience about the history of ,16-Dats Activism’ and the spirit behind observing these days. She said that data on violence against women, prepared and released by Aurat Foundation since 2011, played an important role in bringing women friendly legislation.  She said that despite the hope that violence against women would decrease after the passage of laws against violence, it has rather increased  as there is no record that if any case of violence against women was registered between 2011 to 2015. 

Sharing briefs of her study, Ms Sara Zaman shared various types of forced marriages in difference areas e.g. wata sata, swara etc, and also pointed to the non-availability of information and data on the forced marriages in Pakistan.  She said that during the research study the research team contacted police officers, public prosecutors, medico-legal doctors, and women survivors in Karachi, Hyderabad, Peshawar, Mardan, Swat and Islamabad. While giving gender-disaggregated data of the respondents, she pointed out that number of women respondent were less compared to men due to less women in police and medico-legal departments. 

The study analysis covered the issues of decision making in marriages, women’s employment, their health, education, information about marriages laws etc. She said that according to the study, among the women contacted, around 61% girls didn’t reach the puberty at the time of marriage.  She also pointed out the loopholes in the Anti-Women Practices (Criminal Amendment), Act, 2011.  She also pointed to the lack of legal material, and hence lack of awareness / information about the law among legal experts, parliamentarians and other concerned institutions.  Police officers have no means, resource and inclination to investigate the matters relating forced marriages and violence against women.  Medico-legal experts have no knowledge of the law and their role in FIR registration.  

She recommended that some terms like ‘compel’, ‘deceitfully’, ‘coerces’ etc in the AWP Act are ambiguous and must be defined.  The duration of initial training for police officers must be increased from 9 months to at least a year.  Police must be provided details about the law and particularly in Urdu language, as police officers complained that the laws does not reach police department, she further recommended.  She also emphasized the need to increase the number of women in police and medico-legal departments.  She also recommended the relocation of women police station in Peshawar as it is not accessible to women.      

Speaking on this occasion, Director General, Federal Judicial Academy Dr. Faqir Hussain lamented the prevalence of taboos and traditions in respect of women rights due to firm hold of patriarchy and tribalism in the society. He added that non-compliance by State with international human rights and constitutional / legal safeguards portrays a negative image of the country.

He stressed the strict enforcement of law relating to female shares of inheritance and informed that the superior courts have equally stressed its strict implementation by overruling legal/procedural technicalities in the way. Dr. Hussain suggested obligating the Revenue Authorities and the Excise & Taxation Department for automatic transfer of inheritance shares to women. He recommended that Civil Courts should decide cases of female inheritance through the use of the ADR or by regular hearing, and deciding the matter in three months.                    

Mr Ehsan Ghani,  Inspector General Police, Islamabad, while pointing to  police’s role in implementation of law, emphasized the need of coordination among various institutions concerned for formulation and implementation of laws.  He further said that police officers shall be given extensive training and orientation on laws.  He said that establishment of women police station is un-necessary segregation and not the solution.   He recommended that instead of women police stations, the  government shall establish ‘women complaint cells’.  Dialogue among the police, public and public representatives, and legal experts would facilitate the implementation of law.

Speaking on the occasion, Senior Director Ministry of Health Dr. Shafqat Jawaid Sheikh said that the Gender Based Violence is a Global Public Health Issue but it is on rise in Pakistan like all other developing countries, even in  the industrialized world, and is root cause of many social evils, taboos, myths and misconceptions. He said the magnitude and health consequences of violence against women, especially that of domestic violence and rape, is a serious reproductive health problem.

He mentioned that there is a dearth of health experts and Technology to deal with the Gender Based Violence including documentation in Pakistan. He further emphasized that a lot much has to be done to deal violence as a legitimate public health concern, and for that purpose we need to explore opportunities and obstacles to progress in this particular field.  

Special attention has to be devoted by all the social sector departments and civil society including philanthropists, researchers academia experts, law enforcement agencies, policy-makers to reinforce public health that may assist in opposing all sort of violence in all its forms especially against women, children and even men including transgender.  He narrated the response and Capacity of Health Institutions for Evidence Collection in Gender Based Violence Cases is a critical area.

Ms Samar Minallah, women’s rights activist, in her presentation, said that it is important to address some of the lacunas in the Anti women practices act 2011. Especially when it comes to identifying or naming some of the key customs such as Swara, Watta Satta it is extremely important to be more specific according to the geographical areas.

The most vital issue at this stage is awareness raising and sensitization of the communities and law enforcement agencies about this Act. A need to reach our to various stake holders so that the implementation is ensured. A national media campaign through various mediums of communication is required.  The impact of dissemination of information can become more effective if various civil society organizations work with the government in partnership. Through some video clips from her documentaries she explained how deeply the concept of honour is attached with women in Pashtun society.

Ms Shaista Malik, Member National Assembly, and Secretary General Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), was the Chief Guest of the launching ceremony.   While emphasizing the WPC’s role in bringing consensus for the passage of women friendly laws, she said the caucus is an all parties’ forum and women from all parties unite together for the passage of women friendly laws.  She said the  WPC is also keen to approach the like-minded men parliamentarians for new laws or amendments in the laws.  Women parliamentary caucus is also keen to work with the civil society.

Mr Naeem Mirza, Chief Operating Officer, Aurat Foundation, said that although the women’s rights legislation and policy making has improved in the provinces after the devolution, but the situation at federal level is gloom.  He recommended that Women Parliamentary Caucus shall be given advisory role in women’s rights legislation.

He also recommended that National Plan of Action on women’s rights, which was developed after a long consultative process,  shall now also be developed at provincial level after the devolution of various ministries and departments.  He also requested that after inserting a separate chapter ‘20A’ in the Pakistan Penal Court (PPC), all the women friendly laws shall be brought in this chapter which will facilitate legal literacy on such laws.     

Civil society and human rights groups held protest demonstration in front of the National Press Club to condemn the lynching and burning of a Christian couple in a Kot Radha Kishan, Kasur District, allegedly over blasphemy.  The demonstration was organized under Insani Haqooq Ittehad (IHI), the human rights coalition of CSOs and committed individuals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Twenty-eight years old Shahzad Masih and his five-month-pregnant wife Shama Masih, 24, were brutally tortured by a enraged mob before they were set ablaze at a brick kiln near Chak No.59 early Tuesday.