Demanding equality: Consultative session calls to end discrimination against women

‘Govt must prevent and investigate all forms of gender-based violence’.

PESHAWAR:

Speakers at a consultative session on Monday called for efforts by the government to eliminate multiple forms of discrimination against women and girls through legislation.

The session was organised by Blue Veins, Khwendo Kor Organisation and Noor Education Trust at a local hotel. Adviser to Chief Minister on Social Welfare Mehr Taj Roghani and several representatives of non-profit organisations were present on the occasion.

Participants agreed that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government must frame all goals and targets in line with human rights obligations.

They also said that before pushing for any legislation related to women, the government must examine the effects it will have on their status, both within the domain of the family as well as within the larger cultural and socio-political context.

On the occasion, women rights activist Rukshanda Naz said the government must prevent, investigate and punish all forms of gender-based violence, including traditional practices, and ensure that gender equality and rights of women are upheld.

Provincial Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Neelam Toru said the commission is making recommendations to increase the share of women’s control over land, property and natural resources, help with economic independence, access to labour market and political participation.

Roghani assured the government is taking concrete efforts to eliminate discrimination against women and implement positive measures to ensure equality.

Blue Veins Programme Coordinator Qamar Naseem said the K-P government must increase the minimum age of marriage to 18 years and make registration of marriage and birth compulsory.

He said the impression in media that the provincial government plans to table a bill in the next assembly session to set minimum age for marriage at 18 is false. “As far as I know, the assembly plans to introduce the domestic violence bill first.”

Responding to a question, Naseem said while there is hope that Yemen and Saudi Arabia will pass the minimum age for marriage law, so far Saudi Arabia has neither defined a minimum age nor taken steps to ban child marriages.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2014.