Date: November 25, 2004
Location: Karachi

Speakers on November 25, at a seminar called for change in social attitude towards women stressing the need for amending discriminatory laws and empowering women and eliminating violence against them.

They were speaking at a seminar on, How Far will the Recent Efforts Go in curbing Violence against Women in connection with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) organised by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians PPPP MPA Sindh Assembly Shazia Marri said that women were being subjected to torture not only in Pakistan but this trend is also prevailing in other countries of the world, making it a global issue.

She criticised Karo Kari Bill, currently adopted by National Assembly, saying the law was full of flaws and it would not help in curbing violence against women.

She told that 42% of country’s women are beaten by their male partners, of them 92% accept it as their fate, 34% consider themselves powerless and only 4% lodged report.

”I tabled a motion in Sindh Assembly today to express solidarity with women, confronting violence across the world on International Day for Elimination of violence against Women and to pay tribute to those, who have been the victims of violence” she added.

Aqsa Zainab, Program Officer and Data Incharge Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA) informed that statistics collected by LHRLA, 6138 women were reportedly murdered and 32,728 women were victims of violence in the last four years.

She further disclosed that 3594 women were raped in four years, 6308 tortured/injured, 3586 murdered in honour killing, 1183 burnt, 293 corpses found, 6152 abducted, 455 tortured by Police, 189 trafficked and 4820 women committed suicide, however the number of violence cases against women are ten times higher as most of them went unreported.

Aqsa recommended appointment of lady ombudsman, amendment in ATC Act 1997, reconsidering of discriminatory laws including Hudood Ordinance, provision of free legal aid to victims of violence and provision of judicial powers to Women Commission to lower the violence against women.

Coordinator for Legislative Watch Programme, Aurat Foundation, Nuzhat Shireen deplored that Women Commission, women legislators and representatives in local government are unable to address the problems of women suggesting that women should be given more representation in standing committees of parliament and in political organisations.

She proposed that women legislators be trained politically for raising women related issues in their respective forums. Ms. Shireen also suggested for the provision of health, education, legal aid and other basic facilities.

Director PPF, Samina Ishaque, also spoke.