KARACHI: In this male dominated society, man has to provide equal rights and space to women, otherwise violence will increase rapidly, said Sindh Information and Archives Minister Noor Ul Huda Shah.

She shared these views while speaking at a seminar organised by a local NGO, Madadgar. She further added that information and archive department and Madadgar can jointly make efforts to curb violence in the society.

She underlined the need to create awareness among the people to not harass girls sexually and physically, and also to not deprive them of their rights.

Shah said that the basic reasons behind girls running away from their homes are suppression, suffocation, domestic violence and feuds among parents. She further said that children should be protected from an atmosphere that creates tension and deprivation among them.

By virtue of being a woman she feels depressed when girls are reported to have escaped from their houses and would personally strive to help these victims.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief CPLC Ahmed Chinoy appreciated the struggles of Madadgaar in providing services to victims of violence and abuse. He said the CPLC receives 6,000 SOS calls a day, 99 percent of which are genuine calls.

Founder of Madadgaar National Helpline Zia Ahmed Awan emphasised on finding the root cause of prevailing problems in society related to gender based violence. He said that we are living in a patriarchal society and even small efforts are an achievement for us. He said, we must not only focus on women but must sensitise men regarding gender based violence. Talking about technological advancement, he also mentioned the prevalence of cyber crimes. He also urged to discourage bullying, as it affects mobility of women.

Source: Daily Times