An awareness session on pro women laws was organized at Panah Shelter home, Karachi to celebrate 16 Days of Activism by the Aurat Foundation. The session provided an opportunity to educate the survivors about the prevalence and different forms of gender-based violence, fostering a deeper understanding of the issue.Ms Malka Khan, Provincial Manager AF JAZBA programme conducted the session. She explained the background of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. She said that it is a global campaign that takes place annually from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). The campaign aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence and advocate for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.

She gave an overview of provincial laws and policies especially highlighted the key features of The Sindh Domestic Violence Act 2013. The Act provides a comprehensive definition of domestic violence, which includes physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and economic abuse, as well as any other harmful or offensive conduct. The Act emphasizes the importance of counseling and rehabilitation for both the victim and the perpetrator, with the goal of preventing further incidents of domestic violence. The legislation includes provisions for granting monetary relief to victims, which may include compensation for losses suffered as a result of domestic violence. he Act allows for the issuance of emergency protection orders in urgent situations to provide immediate protection to victims.

Ms. Rizwana, Incharge Dar-ul-Aman Rawalpindi said that shelters are part of the referral system that provide victims and survivors with temporary refuge, lodging and other services and link victims and survivors to medical, legal, economic and psycho-social services. The community is one of the most powerful tools of the anti-violence movement, for while communities can shame, victim-blame, or prescribe harmful gender roles, they can also empower women, collaborate on prevention and intervention, and collectively shape new norms of gender democracy. She said that we should empowering women and girls across their lifetime by keeping girls in school, empowering women economically, giving women cash support, engaging male allies, including women in decision-making at leadership level and supporting local women-led and women’s rights organizations. She was addressing during the awareness session on pro women laws for GBV survivors at Dar-ul-Aman, Rawalpindi on 3rd December 2023 organized by Aurat Foundation.



Ms. Shafaq Shahid, Programme Officer, Aurat Foundation said that we should keep ourselves, family and community healthy and protected. We should say no to any form of violence including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or economic violence. Nothing can be an excuse for violence against women.



Ms Samina Shoaib, political activist of PML (N) said that preventing gender-based violence (GBV) is transformational: it improves the heath of women and children, improves economic productivity and educational attainment, and reduces risks of mental illness and substance abuse, among other benefits. The UNITE to End Violence against Women initiative is a multiyear effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world. She gave the message that nothing can be an excuse for violence against women.



Syeda Begum, Executive Director Saadi Foundation said that Domestic violence is the most common type of GBV, impacting one in four women. But violence takes many forms, including: Femicide, the killing of a woman because of her gender. Domestic violence, including familiar and intimate partner violence. Several NGOs attempt to influence policy development in favor of poor and marginalized communities. She said that awareness-raising campaigns are essential to prevent gender-based violence at education institutions and community level

A consultation on "Constitutional and Electoral Reforms for Strengthening Accountability, Governance and Inclusion was organized in Karachi on 27 Oct 2022. Women and Human Rights Activist Anis Haroon, Farooq Sattar, MQM-Pakistan Firdous Shamim Naqvi, PTI, Kalsoom Chandio PPP, Shoaib Ahmed Advocate, Deputy Director, Sindh Election Commission, Mahnaz Rehman, Resident Director AF Sindh, Nosheen Khuram, Malka Khan and other civil society organization participated.

Women and Human Rights Activist, Ms. Anis Haroon chaired the session. In her concluding remarks, she suggested that political parties take a more democratic approach. ECP must take strict notice of, and action against, any informal agreements between political parties to prevent women from voting; including debarring/denotification of offending candidates. She said that all positions in women’s wings are filled through elections on the basis of lists of female members; and its office-bearers have sufficient representation in all party structures, particularly the decision-making bodies, e.g. central and provincial executive committees, parliamentary boards and parliamentary party forums etc.

Mahnaz Rehman, Resident Director AF Sindh shared the highlights of Electoral Reforms developed by Aurat Foundation in consultation of civil society organizations. She said that to ensure the constitutional safeguards, social inclusion and rights of marginalized people, there is need to amend the Constitutional Articles no 7, 25 and 27. She said that women should also be inducted in the ECP staff, at all levels, including district ECP offices.

Farooq Sattar, MQM-Pakistan said that there is need to establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority must be to the elected representatives. He fully supported the electoral reforms developed by AF and civil society organizations.

Firdous Shamim Naqvi, PTI, said that we are broad-based movement for change whose mission is to create a free society based on justice.

Kalsoom Chandio PPP, said that that the obstacle to women’s political participation stems from the larger context of socio-cultural, economic, politics and the institutions and the discursive frameworks operating within these structures. ECP should regular updating of electoral rolls; female personnel should be employed for female voter registration, with at least one female enumerator in each team across the country.

Shoaib Ahmed Advocate, Deputy Director, Sindh Election Commission, shared the ECP initiatives. According to him, a mass campaign on the right of women to vote, the importance of women’s vote and voting according to their own choice, is on air through mass media.

The participants emphasized  that federal government and political parties must hold thorough consultations to reach a consensus decision on reforming Constitution and Election Reforms to ensure meaningful participation of women in political era.

There is a need to reserve the 33 % seats for women in all categories of seats including union council chairperson and vice chairpersons in the Local Government. Modality of election on reserved seats for women should be direct, constituency based and filled through joint electorate. 33% representation of women should be extended through legislation in all monitoring committees and community-based structures in the Local Government Changes in the law to ensure the presence of women members in a quorum established for any council meeting. Gender budgeting and gender auditing of local government should be made mandatory through legal framework. Minimum of 33% budget should be allocated for women specific development projects and programs.

Ms. Fauzia Shaheen, Chairperson of Balochistan Commission on the Status of Women, said that effective implementation of electoral law. The election result of those constituencies where women are stopped to participate in LG election as voters and candidates should be declared null and void. She was addressing in Women’s Leaders Assembly organized by Aurat Foundation under JAZBA project at Balochistan Boys Scouts, Quetta on 27 October 2022.

Listing of discriminatory practices and social attitudes of LG functionaries against women such as non-availability of office space, separate toilets, not informing women councilors about meetings, not including women in budget making and development planning process, not allowing women to speak in sessions and not allocating development fund or giving them development grants less than their male colleagues and sanctions should be prescribed in the LGO for such gender discriminatory practices and behavior. Sanction should be imposed on district governments for the non-compliance of LGO.

Ms. Farkhanda Aurangzeb Member National Commission for Human Rights from Balochistan, Equitable representation of women in the political structure is not only important because it is simply a human rights issue. She further added that lack of capacity of women councilors was another key challenge. They were unable to aggregate and articulate women’s interests in an effective manner and did not succeed to make a radical shift in policy and development priorities in the local government. There is a need to build of gender capacity of members of councils at two levels; political and technical & institution and personals.

Ms. Shazia Riaz, Director Women 27thDevelopment Department Government of Balochistan hoped that the NCSW recommendations will help to pave the way for removing social, cultural and political constraints experienced by the women, particularly on the basis of their gender and to facilitate the relevant agency by making opportunity available to do the advocacy for developing an enabling environment for women’s empowerment and participatory democracy in Pakistan. She said that government adopted gender mainstreaming officially as a strategy to address the issue of gender disparities at the institutional level and ensure the integration of a gender perspective in government policy planning and practice.

Allauddin Kilii, Resident Director Aurat Foundation Quetta said that legislative change in Political Party Act 2017 is needed to make it mandatory to give 33% representation to women on the strategic leadership positions in the Central Committees, and decision-making position and also give 33% party ticket to women candidates. Legal cover to the Gender mainstreaming as an official strategy in the Local governance. Intersectional approach to gender. setting up a criterion for women to contest reserved for women.  It should be made mandatory for district governments to give honorarium to all councilors.

In the event, women leaders, political workers, representatives from bars association, civil society organizations, media, transgenders, women with disabilities, religious groups and others were participated in the event.

12 September 2022: Aurat Foundation celebrated International Democracy Day with the theme of “Inclusive Democracy: Challenges and opportunities in 2022” in collaboration with Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) Islamabad.

The event was attended by the Honorable Speaker National Assembly, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Secretary Women Parliamentary Caucus, Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Senator Sana Jamali, Senator Krishna Kumari, Member National Assembly, Farrukh Khan and large number of media, academia and civil society representative including representatives of PWDs and transgender communities. On the eve, Ms. Kishoo Bai, Senator of PPPP, Ms. Sana Jamali, Senator from Balochistan,

Naeem Mirza, Exective Director AF, Ms. Abia Akram, ED STEP and founder of National Forum of Women with Disabilities, Ms. Maya Zaman, a transgender activist,
Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf said that before 1970, the population of Pakistan was 10 crores and out of those, only 40,000 people in East Pakistan and 40,000 people in West Pakistan were allowed to vote on behalf of their communities. Hence, only 80,000 people voted to bring in the representatives of 10 crore people. He said that democracy in Pakistan is young and needs time to mature like its western counterparts.

Mr. Naeem Mirza, executive director Aurat Foundation (AF), said that from 2008-2013 women legislators were very active in the parliament and this showed through their work since most of the legislation regarding women’s rights was done during this period. He said that democracy has become a value in the modern age and further stated that out of the all 190+ countries put together, only Bangladesh and Pakistan have a clause inserted into their constitution which says that breaking the constitution itself is a criminal offence and carries the death penalty.

Ms. Abia Akram, founder of the national forum of women with disabilities in Pakistan, spoke candidly at the seminar. She said almost all of us were brought to the venue on a wheelchair, which she explained in this manner that the cars we sit in and travel in, has a wheel and a chair, just like the wheelchair of a disabled person. She further said we need to finish systematic barriers in Pakistan which stop the disabled people from excelling in any field.

Ms. Maya Zaman, a transgender activist, said that presently there is a debate ongoing about who is a real transgender? She said that the protection act of the transgender has been challenged in court by a right-wing political party who says that all transgeders are fake.

Ms. Kishoo Bai, senator of PPPP, said that the majority should not be afraid of a tiny minority and allow them to live freely in Pakistan. She said that we need to stand up for minority rights as it benefits the society at large. She also thanked her party co-chairman Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari due to who’s support she is in the senate of Pakistan.

Ms. Sana Jamali, Senator from Balochistan told a harrowing tale of the damage that the recent floods have wreaked in her native province. She said that rainfall was ongoing for a consecutive 18 days and that Balochistan usually received only 10 mm of rain. However, during the recent floods, it received a huge 240 mm of rain which has destroyed the infrastructure of Pakistan’s largest Balochistan. She said that around 60,000 women are pregnant and are due to give birth in the next few months and they are not getting any sort of medical care which their situation requires.

AF conducted Introductory meeting of Women’s Access to Justice Advisory Group under WAJIB Project on 16th August 2022. Ms. Farkhanda Aurangzaib, member NCHR, Fauzia Shaheen, Chairperson BCSW, Musarrat Jabeen DG Social Welfare Department, Shazia Riaz Director WDD, Jahan Ara Tabasum Deputy Secretary WDD, Hiba DD, SWD, Ruqiya Taj DD WDD, Zarghoona Tareen SHO Women Police Station, Sobia SHO Cantt Police, Sana Durrani Chairperson EVAW/G Alliance, Ayub Tareen, Executive member Bar Council, Amir Ali Coordinator Helpline 1089, Zulfiqar Durrani Head of sub office UNDP, Munira from UNDP, Sadiqa from UNDP, Representatives from Ombudsperson office participated in the meeting.

Working tirelessly to uplift women, Ms. Nigar Ahmed is remembered for co-founding the Aurat Foundation, a respected organization dedicated to women’s empowerment since 3 decades. So great was her impact of her many efforts over her lifetime, Ms. Nigar Ahmed received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Life Time Achievement Award for her contributions, and was one of the 1,000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Read on about her journey to empower women across Pakistan: http://www.fwbl.com.pk/media-center/special-reports/

Celebrating Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, FWBL pays tribute to iconic women whose legacies are strongly interwoven in the fabric of the nation’s heritage. Their remarkable achievements, in their own unique way, contribute to who we are as a nation today.

Working tirelessly to uplift women, Ms. Nigar Ahmed is remembered for co-founding the Aurat Foundation, a respected organization dedicated to women’s empowerment since 3 decades. So great was her impact of her many efforts over her lifetime, Ms. Nigar Ahmed received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Life Time Achievement Award for her contributions, and was one of the 1,000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Read on about her journey to empower women across Pakistan: http://www.fwbl.com.pk/media-center/special-reports/

Celebrating Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, FWBL pays tribute to iconic women whose legacies are strongly interwoven in the fabric of the nation’s heritage. Their remarkable achievements, in their own unique way, contribute to who we are as a nation today.

Working tirelessly to uplift women, Ms. Nigar Ahmed is remembered for co-founding the Aurat Foundation, a respected organization dedicated to women’s empowerment since 3 decades. So great was her impact of her many efforts over her lifetime, Ms. Nigar Ahmed received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Life Time Achievement Award for her contributions, and was one of the 1,000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Read on about her journey to empower women across Pakistan: http://www.fwbl.com.pk/media-center/special-reports/

Celebrating Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, FWBL pays tribute to iconic women whose legacies are strongly interwoven in the fabric of the nation’s heritage. Their remarkable achievements, in their own unique way, contribute to who we are as a nation today.

Working tirelessly to uplift women, Ms. Nigar Ahmed is remembered for co-founding the Aurat Foundation, a respected organization dedicated to women’s empowerment since 3 decades. So great was her impact of her many efforts over her lifetime, Ms. Nigar Ahmed received the Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Life Time Achievement Award for her contributions, and was one of the 1,000 women proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Read on about her journey to empower women across Pakistan: http://www.fwbl.com.pk/media-center/special-reports/

Celebrating Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, FWBL pays tribute to iconic women whose legacies are strongly interwoven in the fabric of the nation’s heritage. Their remarkable achievements, in their own unique way, contribute to who we are as a nation today.