Voice of Gender News From Pakistan
A man has shot dead his sister in law in day broad light assassination incident on a busy road in Fatehjang town of Attock on Wednesday, Police sources said.
Hamamd Riffat has reported to Police that his sister contracted marriage with Haseeb Khan some years ago. On Wednesday, his sister was going to bazar for some purchasing, Haseeb’s brother named Adnan has intercepted him near Mumtaz plaza and showered bullets over her resultantly she died on the spot.
Source: Pakistan Observer
QUETTA, The speakers in the consultation organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on Wednesday agreed that promoting gender equality to address poverty, requires a multifaceted approach that tackles the root causes and empowers both men and women.
The participants raised gender issues and poverty with a focus on the economic empowerment of women and the eradication of poverty. They submitted a set of recommendations that included education and skill development with Equal Employment Opportunities for all and especially women and girls, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and policies in the workplace.
NCSW consulted with provincial stakeholders on the preparation of the National Report on “Need Analysis for Financing and Strengthening Institutions with Gender Perspective for the Empowerment of Women and Girls” to be presented by the Commission in the 68th Session of the UN-Commission on the Status of Women, said a news release.
The consultation was attended by the representatives from all consortium Partners including Civil Society Organizations, youth, academia, media partners gender experts, representatives from government departments, civil society organizations, NGOs, and media houses.
The theme of the sixty-eighth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women that will take place from March 11 to 22, 2024 is “achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.”
The subject consultation by NCSW in partnership Consortium members UNWOMEN, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA was the concluding consultation in a series of dialogues conducted in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.
Chairperson NCSW Nilofar Bakhtiar extended gratitude to the consortium partners for their continued encouragement of the NCSW and Consortium’s pre-CSW consultations. As that is the overarching topic of CSW 68.
She maintained that we look forward to working toward inclusive and sustainable remedies for gender-related challenges with a particular focus on economic empowerment and the eradication of poverty.
She underlined that societies can at the same time fight to foster gender equality while minimizing poverty by using an all-encompassing and integrated approach.
Acknowledging the connections between gender issues and poverty is crucial, as is working together to address them with the help of communities, NGOs, governments, and the commercial sector.
The opportunity to evaluate the progression and pinpoint persistent impediments limiting success was offered by this series of consultations organized around Pakistan.
Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Muhammad Zubair Jamali applauded the accomplishments of NCSW, saying that women in Balochistan are progressive, viable, and performing their roles in every area. With emphasis on women’s education, he declared that the government of Balochistan will continue to work to reinforce state institutions for women’s empowerment in every aspect of life.
“We will investigate the forum’s proposals with the help of NCSW and UN partners. Due to how closely related the problems of gender equality and poverty are, we must work collaboratively to forge a more equal and prosperous future. We understand that many of our fellow citizens, particularly women, encounter regular obstacles in providing for their most basic needs, and we are committed”, he added.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Amanullah Kanrani said on the occasion that it was an honor for Balochistan to host the consultation. He noted that the provincial government acknowledges the fact that empowering women is not just a matter of social justice but also an economic imperative.
He said “The women’s inclusion and access to equal opportunities calls for the need for creating equal opportunities for women in all sectors, ensuring that they have the same access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship. The issue of the gender gap can be addressed by promotion of transparency and adherence to national and international commitments.”
The Chair BCSW Fauzia was of the view that NCSW and Balochistan Commission have been supportive of the state’s initiatives towards poverty and economic uplift of women however investing in women’s education, job training programs, the economic empowerment of women is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. “It is a key driver for sustainable development, social progress, and inclusive growth, she concluded.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
For the first time in the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as many as 47 women candidates from different political parties will contest on general seats of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly in upcoming elections.
According to data available with APP, the record increase was witnessed in women aspirants of contesting on general seats after imposition of condition on political parties that at least 5 percent women should be awarded party tickets on general seats.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has fielded candidates on the general seats of the National Assembly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa included, Sobia Shahid to contest polls from NA-29 and NA-31 from Peshawar while Farah Khan is participating in polls from NA-24.
Similarly, on the general seats of the provincial assembly, Sobia Khan from PML-N will contest elections from PK-76, Shaista Khan from PK-46. Likewise, Basirat Khan will participate in elections from PK-94, Orkazai and Janzeeba Azam to contest from PK-108, Tank.
About the participants of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the National Assembly seats, it fileded Meher Sultana from NA-38 and Farzana Shireen from NA-39 on general seats. On the Provincial Assembly seats, the tickets were awarded to Sawira Prakash for PK-25, Sajida Tabbasum for PK-39, Shahnaz Shamsheer for PK-46, Shaista Raza for PK-48 Haripur and Anila Shehzad will contest elections to grab PK-56.
The Awami National Party (ANP) has issued tickets to Khadija Bibi from NA-1, Samar Haroon Bilour from PK 83 and Shaheen Zameer from PK-40.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has awarded tickets on general seats to women included Dr Asiya to contest election from NA-35 and Seemi Falak will contest from PK-76. Pakistan Markazi Muslim League has fielded Samreen Rasid from PK-75 while Tehreek-e-Jawaan Pakistan has awarded ticket to Rehma Sehar from PK-79. PK 86 Nowshera Farahim, PK 90 Kohat Nazia Bibi, PK 91 Kohat Sofia Bano and PK 92 Kohat Shanila are the candidates from Jamaat-e-Islami.
On the other hand, Bushra from PK-73, Shakra Gul from PK-79, Nazia Ali from PK-81, Afshan Afridi from PK 82 and Shumaila Tabbasum from PK-83 are contesting as independent candidates.
Source: The Nation
The Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWDJR) is not only deeply concerned but fiercely angered at yet another instance of brutal domestic violence by the male members of the journalist community. This time, the alleged perpetrator is an influential media person, an ARY anchor named Ashfaque Ishaq Satti.
Enough is enough; we are appalled at the criminal justice systems and institutions permeated with patriarchy that condone violence against women, dismissing it as a mere “personal or private dispute.” Domestic violence is criminalised in Pakistan under the Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act 2020. Additionally, the dignity of an individual is a fundamental right protected in the Constitution of Pakistan, and dismissing it as “a personal” matter is incongruous when the law specifically safeguards it as a human right. Domestic violence is the result of deep-rooted political structures and power dynamics that are intrinsically oppressive and patriarchal. We strongly believe that the personal is political, and for women, the challenges they face in their personal lives–the double shift due to inequitable distribution of care and domestic work, violence within the home, harassment in work and public places, online abuse directed at them–impacts and often puts their lives in danger.
We have not forgotten the murder of Shaheena Shaheen at the hands of her husband, another perpetrator from the media fraternity. NWJDR has also received individual testimonies from its members of women journalists who are facing severe domestic abuse and violence from their partners who are also part of the media industry, and holding influential positions. Through the countless testimonies we have received, we foresee a new and dangerous trend of male journalists perpetrating violence in their relationships, highlighting a bleak picture that needs urgent action.
As reported by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in 2020, over 90% of Pakistani women have faced domestic violence in their lifetime. According to a media report in Express Tribune in 2022, “data released under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act 2013, cases of domestic violence saw an increase in the last five years. Same is the situation in courts; an estimated forty percent of cases in courts are family cases, and the remaining sixty percent involve crimes like murder, kidnapping and theft. For example, if a court has 150 total cases for hearing, at least eighty-five cases are family cases, mainly of violence”. How many more women will have to become victims of domestic abuse for it to be taken seriously?
Domestic violence is often an underreported crime due to the stigma surrounding it and because of the lack of accessibility to complaint mechanisms for victims. Women are not believed; even when they provide evidence of abuse there is a hue and cry on how there are “two sides” to the story. How men use influence in cases of domestic violence to evade accountability and impunity is not uncommon. Law enforcement agencies, including the police, also force the survivors of abuse to reach a settlement outside the court, again reiterating how a “private” matter should remain within the confines of the house and associating ‘family honor’ with a woman’s dignity and identity.
The concerns that women face should be taken seriously and acted upon, and in cases where male journalists are involved, media outlets as well as the government must respond immediately to ensure that influence is not exercised to evade legal action. State inaction sends a message to women that they are on their own and in the long term discourages them from speaking up against abuse and filing a complaint. The challenges that women face before they actually speak up are already humongous; from living in close proximity with the perpetrators who are constantly surveilling their physical movement and devices to going back to the same house after registering a complaint can cost women their lives.
Additionally NWJDR acknowledges and appreciates the step taken by ARY Management to immediately suspend Ashfaq Satti till the law takes its course and decides the matter. It is a promising step on how our society should have zero tolerance for violence against women. However, a lot more needs to be done before to prevent the menace of domestic violence in our country.
We, the undersigned, demand the following:
1. We call upon media outlets to thoroughly investigate allegations against their personnel and take prompt and decisive action against individuals found guilty of domestic violence. Media organizations must not shield perpetrators and should instead prioritize the safety and well-being of women who are subjected to human rights abuses.
2. We urge law enforcement agencies, especially the police, to handle cases of domestic violence with the seriousness they deserve. Survivor complaints should be thoroughly and impartially investigated, and survivors should not be coerced into settling outside the court. The police should actively pursue legal action against perpetrators, ensuring that the law is applied without influence or bias.
3. We call upon the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) to proactively intervene in cases of domestic violence, particularly those involving perpetrators from the media industry. This includes conducting independent investigations into reported incidents, ensuring the protection of survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable under the law.
4. We urge press clubs and journalist unions to actively condemn such grave incidents and avoid using their influence to silence or pressure women survivors of domestic violence to save male members of the media fraternity. These organizations must prioritize the safety and well-being of their members over protecting individuals accused of such heinous acts.
5. Domestic abuse leaves a lasting impact on mental health and well being of the victim. The government must provide free psychological assistance to the victims.
6. Healthcare in Pakistan is not easy and free to obtain especially when a case has been registered with the police. The government must ensure setting up sections in hospitals where victims are provided with free medical treatment.
Source: The Nation