Human Rights Day: ‘Men can help end gender violence’

Activists say solution lies in having more men fight to achieve equality

PESHAWAR:

To discuss the role of men in ending gender-based violence (GBV), a conference was organised by Human Rights Directorate, K-P government, Blue Veins and MEN UNiTE.

“Men and boys should be engaged in facilitating pathways that lead to positive social changes,” said Minister for Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi on the event held to celebrate Human Rights Day at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

At the conference, participants raised critical questions such as why societies worldwide are producing men who are violent and why do men use violence against women and girls, particularly from their own families. While providing information on MEN UNiTE, Zar Ali Khan Afridi of the Child Rights Movement said Men UNiTE was launched with a mission to support men develop healthy personal relationships with women, children and other men beyond the limits of masculine stereotypes and social patterns that have kept men divided for ages.



“MEN UNiTE seeks to engage men in practising respectful attitudes towards others.” He added most feminists in Pakistan and across South Asia have fought for women’s rights, but violence against women continues. “The solution seems to be in having more men involved in achieving gender equality.”

Men UNiTE Coordinator Qamar Naseem said, “For me the struggle for equality has never been a fight between men and women, it is a matter of mindsets and ideologies.’ He added it is an issue between those who endorse patriarchy and those who approve of equality, and that he considered latter better for family unity.

Members of Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network, Tribal NGOs Consortium, FATA Commission for Human Rights, TransAction and FATA Students Organisation were also in attendance. Human Rights Day also marked the end of 16 days of Activism to End Gender Based Violence.

16 days

An NGO, SACH, concluded the 16 days of activism against GBV that started on November 25.

SACH had organised three different activities that highlighted the issues pertaining to women’s rights, safety or education for young people and GBV. The activities that were based on discussions, debates and quizzes included teachers, students and scholars from the Afghan community.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th,  2015.