PAKISTAN: Drive Planned to Curb Violence Against Women

While presiding over a meeting of civil society organisations' representatives on Thursday, NCWS Chairperson Anis Haroon urged people from all walks of life and age groups to join their counterparts across the globe by launching the campaign in Karachi on Dec 2.

The issue is universal but at the same time it is extremely important in the context of Pakistan where violence continues to be a problem and where emotional and physical harm caused to girls and women on a daily basis remain invisible.

Ms Haroon said launching ceremonies for the campaign would be organised in all parts of the country in close coordination with different human rights and women organisations.

The meeting was attended by women activists and representatives of different NGOs from Sindh, including Urban Resource Centre, Tehreek-i-Niswan, Aurat Foundation, Women Action Forum and WAR.

It was agreed that the One Billion Rising Campaign would be launched in Karachi on Dec 2 and other cities could have their specific dates for launching this drive.

The rights activists attending the meeting expressed their absolute support for the campaign and agreed that there was no honour in hitting, killing and abusing girls. “Let us unite to break the silence around violence against women,” they said.

Responding to issues pertaining to minority communities and other marginalised sections of society, Ms Haroon said these could be incorporated in the national campaign, as authorised by conveners of the global campaign.

She mentioned that One Billion Rising is the collective voice of one billion women, men, children and all other human beings across the globe for ZERO tolerance to violence against women.

Dr Samrina Hashmi, Sheema Kirmani, Malka Khan, Shireen Khokhar, Farooq Kaiser and others attended the meeting.

Currently Pakistan is the only South Asian country that does not have legislation on domestic violence despite the fact that services as well as mechanisms to support women survivors and implementation of protective legislation are inadequate.