January 19, 2024

Siblings found slaughtered, mother poisoned

SAHIWAL: Three minor siblings were found slaughtered at their home while their mother was found poisoned at Chak 14/5-L, tehsil Chichawatni.

Rescue 1122 said all children’s throats were cut with a grape hoe and they found them dead upon arrival. The rescuers shifted the woman to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Chichawatni in critical condition.

The woman was identified as Rubina Kashif while her deceased children as Alisha (9), Sadia (6) and Furqan (3).

According to the first information report (FIR), registered by Kasowal police on the report of Rubina’s husband Kashif, Rubina herself had slaughtered her three children before taking poison to commit suicide.

The initial investigation said Kashif Javed and Rubina got married 13 years back and they had four children. Rubina had been living with her in-laws since her marriage. Family sources claimed that Rubina was suffering mental issues because of her unhappy domestic life. There were also incidents of domestic violence involving her husband.

On Wednesday night, Kashif went to take his father from the village bus stop. His wife, Rubina, and three children were asleep in one room while the other family members slept in grandmother’s room.

Kashif said when he returned at 10pm, he saw the bodies of his children while Rubina was sitting along them in critical condition. Police and Rescue 1122 were called. At first, police thought some unidentified men had killed the children and tried to murder their mother. But later it was Rubina who killed her children and took poison. Her own statement is not known yet as she is hospitalised.

Kashif told the media that his eldest daughter survived because she was sleeping with her grandmother in another room. Kasowal police registered a murder cases against Rubina Kashif on her husband Kashif Javed’s complaint.

ASP Tariq Mahmood told Dawn the case was being investigated from different angles, including the mental issues of the mother, domestic violence from her husband and her fights with her in-laws and that it could be a case of revenge.

The ASP said Rubina was not in a position to record her statement yet.

Regional Police Officer Mahboob Rasheed has taken notice of the incident and asked the Sahiwal DPO to submit a report at the earliest.

Source: Dawn

January 19, 2024

AJK minister to table bill against child marriages

MUZAFFARABAD: A member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet, Taqdees Gillani, said on Thursday she would table a bill in the legislative assembly to curb early-age forced marriages as part of efforts to ensure the rights of children and women in the state.

Taqdees Gillani, minister without portfolio, made this announcement at a seminar on early-age forced marriages under the aegis of the national commission on the status of women, in collaboration with three United Nations agencies: UNICEF, UNFPA, and UN Women.

“I acknowledge, a lot of work needs to be done regarding the rights of children and women in Azad Kashmir. I myself will table a bill on forced child marriage in the assembly with an aim to put in place a comprehensive policy and way forward to prevent such unethical and un-Islamic acts,” she said.

She was of the view that generally illiterate people from low-income groups would get their children married very early so that they could lighten their burden, unmindful of or deliberately overlooking the problems the practice caused to the victims. “We will prepare the draft of the proposed bill in collaboration and consultation with the national and AJK’s commissions on the status of women,” Ms Gillani said.

Earlier, Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar, chairperson of the national commission on the status of women, said that underage marriage was an injustice to children. “If there is a minimum age limit of 18 years for the national identity card, the same should also be for marriage,” she said. Ms. Bakhtiar said that early marriages created serious health hazards and destroyed the future of children.

She said a law to prevent this practice should be passed by the AJK legislature, and all concerned should play their role in this regard. The seminar was also addressed by the AJK minister for higher education, the leader of the opposition, and the federal secretary for women commission. Earlier, three groups of participants did group work, followed by their presentations on poverty alleviation from a gender perspective, strengthening institutions for gender equality, and mobilising financing for women empowerment.

Source: Dawn

January 19, 2024

Investment in women’s health to boost world economy by $1tr: WEF

ISLAMABAD: A new World Economic Forum report showed that closing the women’s health gap would allow more women to live healthier, higher-quality lives, and provide an unprecedented boost to the global economy.

The report titled, “Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies”, released on Wednesday, says women on an average spend 25 per cent more of their lives in poor health than men. Closing the health gap facing women globally could lead to a 1.7pc increase in per capita GDP, with every $1 invested in these efforts potentially unlocking $3 in economic growth.

“Investing in women’s health goes far beyond individual women. It is a direct investment in families, communities, societies and economies,” said Anita Zaidi, President, of Gender Equality Division, at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Our collective future rests on closing the women’s health gap,” she said.

Addressing shortcomings, which limit the ability of many women to engage in the workforce and earn a living for themselves and their families, could reduce the time women spend in poor health by almost two-thirds, improve the health outcomes and daily lives of over 3.9 billion people, and add $1 trillion to the economy annually by 2040.

Better health for women creates a ripple effect that extends to families, communities, nations

There is a tremendous opportunity for the healthcare and life sciences community to improve the lives of women around the world. From the interventions that have sex-disaggregated data, 64pc were found to put women at a disadvantage due to lower efficacy, lack of access or both, the report says.

In response to the report findings, and to bridge the women’s health gap, the World Economic Forum has launched the Global Alliance for Women’s Health, a multi-sector global platform that is centred on evidence that investing in women’s health would not only improve billions of individual lives, but also provide a revolutionary economic boon for societies and economies as a whole.

The WEF says 42 organisations have expressed interest in joining the alliance, including government leaders and representatives from the private sector, entertainment industry and philanthropic space.

Together they will pledge new commitments to advance the alliance’s priorities across three pillars: financing, science and innovation, and agenda-setting. Key partners have already announced $55 million in pledges to improve women’s health outcomes and shape a new future for women’s health across the world.

The Global Alliance for Women’s Health alliance will be guided by an influential, multi-sector governing board that is made up of world leaders representing the diversity of stakeholders that must be involved to advance investments in women’s health.

Globally, the top 10 conditions by economic impact account for more than 50pc of the total GDP impact. This highlights areas with high unmet needs and potential, aiding decision-makers in prioritising efforts to address health disparities.

Investing in improving women’s health not only improves women’s quality of life but also enables them to participate more actively in the workforce and make a living. The potential value created through women’s higher economic participation and productivity exceeds the costs of implementation by a ratio of $3 to $1 globally.

The report concludes that women’s health is not a standalone issue — it is a cornerstone of societal well-being and progress. Better health and well-being for women creates a ripple effect that extends to families, communities and nations.

Source: The Nation

January 19, 2024

Proactive measures needed to avoid cyber security threats to children: Kaspersky experts

ISLAMABAD – Kaspersky experts have called for proactive measures from parents to protect their children from cybersecurity threats in 2024. They have developed the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Alphabet, containing key concepts from the cybersecurity industry. The book aims to educate children about new technologies, cyber hygiene rules, avoiding online threats, and recognizing fraudsters’ tricks. The PDF version of the book is available for download, as per a news release.

Source: The Nation

January 19, 2024

NCHR and Bank AL Habib join hands to empower women and girls

ISLAMABAD – The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and Bank AL Habib have signed a Letter of Interest (LOI) committing to work together and empower women and girls through sport-based human development interventions. Their focus is to mobilize marginalized communitiess.

NCHR is currently engaged in a project around this theme through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), supported by the High Commission of Canada in Pakistan. However, NCHR has identified the need to support the most vulnerable and marginalized group within this project – the Women United Football Academy in Quetta. The LOI serves as a comprehensive framework outlining the terms of the agreement for Bank AL Habib’s sponsorship of the Hazara Women United Football Academyin Quetta. This strategic partnership aims to bolster the academy’s capacity to train and equip more girls, thereby extending the impact of the ongoing CFLI project. Moreover, the sponsorship is designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Academy beyond the completion of the CFLI project.

Source: The Nation