News - Aurat Foundation

Minister for Women’s Development, Balochistan, visited Aurat Foundation Quetta office

Minister for Women’s Development, Government of Balochistan Mir Izhar Khan Khosa, visited Aurat Foundation’s Quetta office on March 4, 2014. Mr Haroon Dawood, Resident Director Aurat Foundation, Quetta, welcomed the Minister and briefed him about the goal and objectives of Aurat Foundation’s Gender Equity Programme (GEP).
Ms Saima Javaid, National Manager, MER, Aurat Foundation, shared following agenda points / demands with the minister:

1. Formation of advisory committee for Ministry of Women Development;
2. Inclusion of women parliamentarians in provincial cabinet;
3. Implementation of SOPs of Dar-Ul-Aman;
4. Establishment of Crisis Center and Dar-Ul-Aman in same premises to strengthen seamless service for the help of GBV survivors;
5. Sharing and consultation with relevant stake holders on women related resolution and bill before presenting on assembly floor;
6. Implementation and display of code of conduct of ‘The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, 2010’ in government departments all over Balochistan;
7. Formation of Provincial Commission on the Status of Women in Balochistan;
8. Discussion on the possibility of GEP’s non-competitive grants with Women’s Development Department (WDD);
9. Celebrating 8th March, the International Women’s Day, with women and men parliamentarians of Balochistan in provincial assembly building.

Responding to these demands, Mir Izhar Khan Khosa said that he would try his level best for the development of women in Balochistan, and for this the ministry would keep close coordination with the Aurat Foundation. He also gave commitments for introducing policies for women’s empowerment in Balochistan.
Mr Allauddin Khilji, Mr Amir Ali, Mr Lal Muhammad and Ms Fatima Tahir, from Aurat Foundation, were also present in the meeting.

Provincial Consultation on the ‘State Report for Beijing +20’

Aurat Foundation’s Quetta office, in collaboration with Rozan and National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), organized a provincial consultation on the ‘State Report for Beijing+20’, on February 18, 2014, Serena Hotel, Quetta, so that to involve the relevant government agencies, parliamentarians, NGOs and other stake holders to have their input and experiences documented for the state report on 12 thematic areas outlined in the Beijing platform for action.

Participants of the consultation included government officials, women of different political parties, INGO/NGO representatives, prominent lawyers, political and social activists, academia, labour unions, doctors, paramedic associations, teachers associations, women’s chamber of commerce, Aurat Foundation’s district partners and media persons.

The participants were divided into 12 groups according to their expertise in relevant fields. Participants discussed progress and achievements along with outlining setbacks and challenges for Beijing platform for action. The group discussions were also focused on future plans and initiatives that the government aims to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women. Each group was facilitated by an expert selected from group members. The rapporteur was also designated from each group to present their group works.

The session was chaired by Mir Izhar Khan Khosa, Minister for Women’s Development and Food, Government of Balochistan. While expressing his views he said that, he will try his level best for the development of women cause and also keeps close coordination with the civil society organizations for the advancement of women’s movement. Ms Salma Qureshi, Additional Secretary, Women’s Development Department, Balochistan, was also present in the event.

Ms Saliha Ramay (Rozan) and Ms Farkhanda Aurangzeb (AF) spoke at length on objectives of consultation and also presented the overview of Beijing conference and progress after that. Mr Haroon Dawood, Resident Director (AF – Quetta) and Ms Saima Javed (AF – Quetta) moderated various sessions of the consultation. The group works were assisted by Mr Allauddin Khilji, Mr Ishfaq Mengal, Mr Amir Ali, Mr Lal Muhammad and Ms Fatima Tahir.

5-Day Training of Trainers (TOT) on Community Leadership and Accountability Organized

Aurat Foundation’s Lahore office, under its LISTEN project, organized a 5-day ‘Training of Trainers (ToT) on Community Leadership and Accountability’, from 17th to 21st February 2014, at Hotel Crown Plaza, Lahore. This training workshop was attended by women leaders from 18 districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ms Uzma Yaqoob and Mr Asmat Ullah from Ask Development were the resource persons of the TOT.

The training aimed at apprising the participants on human right, community governance, social accountability, gender justice and community action research with specific attention to knowledge, attitudes and skill enhancement. The training program was designed to build the participants’ capacities as well as to equip them with the material to be used during the downstream trainings by these potential trainers, to the grass root level, coddle the cadre of 1200 prospective trainers in the targeted district under the project.

Training program was an effective mix of lectures, plenary discussions, group works, role plays, documentaries, video clips and case studies.

Solidarity with Participants of Long Marcher for Voices of Missing Persons

Aurat Foundation and other Lahore-based Civil Society Organizations welcomed the participants of Long March for Voices of Balochi Missing Persons (VBMP), which started their march at Thokar Niaz Baig to Freedom Chowk, The Mall Road Lahore.

A large number of members of civil society, students, youth, and media persons have joined the marchers in solidarity with the missing persons. Mr A R Rehman, HRCP, also participated in and addressed the rally.

Aurat Foundation’s resident director Nasreen Zehra, Provincial Manager Mumtaz Mughal, Programme Officers Nabeela Shaheen, Sarah Anum, Anjum Raza, Abid Ali and many friends of Aurat Foundation participated in this rally.

Solidarity with Participants of Long Marcher for Voices of Missing Persons

National Women’s Day celebrated at Lahore

Women Action Forum (WAF) and Aurat Foundation organized a rally to commemorate the Pakistan’s National Women’s Day at the Mall Road, Lahore. The day is commemorated each year on 12^th February to remember the day of ‘February 12, 1983’, when women activists were batten-charged while protesting against the discriminatory Hudood laws as promulgated by the then military dictator General Zia ulHaq.

Prominent activist of WAF Mehnaz Raffi, Mumtaz Razi, FakhraTahreem, TanveerJahan, Gulnar, Nighat Saeed Khan, Neelam Hussain, Shabnam, Humaira, Sabiha Shaheen, along with Aurat Foundation’s Resident Director Nasreen Zehra, Provincial Manager Mumtaz Mughal, and other program staff including Nabeela Shaheen, Sara Anum, Abid Ali, Adnan Rasheed and AnjumRaza participated in this rally. The rally started from Regal Chowk to High court Chowk on the Mall Road, Lahore.

Participants of rally raised slogans for equal economic, educational, reproductive rights and political rights of women and their access to employment. They also demanded to end violence against women and girls.