KARACHI – Sindh Women Development Minister Dr Saeeda Malik has suggested that quota should be fixed for women in police to help reduce unemployment among the women and to check violence against them.

She was presiding over a meeting of ‘violence against women committee’ at her office on September 27. The minister said that to achieve the targets related to reduction in violence against women, besides initiatives by police and judiciary, collective efforts should also be made in the society by involving the public and NGO’s working for the cause.

She said that female educational institutes at various levels might be used for creating awareness among girls regarding the issue, especially focussing on their legal rights and motivating them to report if any incident of violence occurred against them or in their surrounding.

She also suggested that lawyers could be appointed on volunteer basis in jails to report problems faced by women prisoners. She said the electronic media should be involved for creating awareness among people regarding the issue through producing and airing related programmes.

The committee also discussed deteriorating conditions of women factory workers, and in order to improve it, it was suggested that periodical meetings should be arranged in order to make them aware of their rights and to encourage them to launch their complaints against violence and other forms of suppression.

Police AIG Nayyar Hussain said that in most of the cases of abuse, victims’ family members had been found involved, making it difficult for women to report such incidents. He added that such pressures could be checked through effective counselling in educational institutions. Secretary, Women Development, Ghulam Ali Pasha, MPA Fareeda Baloch and others attended the meeting.

Source: Dawn

Date:9/28/2004