Calling justice: Laws and rights of women should be taught in schools, suggests Khushbakht Shujaat

Former lawmaker inaugurates women complaint cell.

KARACHI: All the laws and bills relating to the rights of women should be taught in schools, suggested former MNA Khushbakht Shujaat.

She was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee’s (CPLC) Women Complaint Cell at Movenpick Hotel on Thursday. The speakers at the ceremony agreed that several seminars, workshops and training sessions have been held in the last few years on women empowerment and many promises have been made to give women equal rights but crimes against women are increasing every year.

Sharing their views on this issue, the female speakers said a majority of women do not know what their rights are. “Laws for women should be added in the curriculum so that they know their rights and the laws made for them in the country,” said Shujaat. “A woman can stand up for her right and stop verbal or physical abuse if she knows the law.”

Shujaat pointed towards a poster that showed a woman crying to stress how the society loves such women who appear weak. “It is the responsibility of those women, who are educated, sitting in the parliament, working and have the support of their families, to fight for the rights of other women,” she said.

Women Complaint Cell

In order to address the gap between women’s rights and its awareness, the CPLC launched its Women Complaint Cell. “The cell is an initiative taken by the CPLC to develop trust between the law enforcing agencies and women,” explained CPLC chief Ahmed Chinoy. “The CPLC is not a parallel body to any law enforcing agency. It is just a supportive body to help citizens get their rights.”

The women cell has been working round-the-clock since June. Four female workers and 15 volunteers are taking up to 15 calls every day. After the formal inauguration of the cell on Thursday, the cell is expecting 100 calls a day. The complaints at the cell are also pursued by the law enforcers, who seek the help of the judiciary as well, Chinoy told The Express Tribune.

“The cell also welcomes advices and ideas, and our motive is to stop violence against women,” said Nusrat Haris, the head of the complaint cell. “We have completed a milestone today.”

Praising the concept of the complaint cell, Hum TV’s Sultana Siddiqui felt the idea to have women employees was a good one. “I will feel comfortable and convenient to talk to a woman about my problems and share the injustice I am suffering, instead of to a male police officer,” she said.

Sindh Assembly deputy speaker Shehla Raza spoke about the challenges in making women-related bills in Pakistan. “Bringing everyone on the same page needs a lot of time,” she said, hoping that the complaint cell will provide an option to women who hesitate from going to a police station.

That women can speak now and raise their voice, is itself the biggest achievement in Pakistan, said Haseena Moin. “Through my plays, I have tried in the past 40 years to let women understand that they are not weak,” said Moin, giving an example of her first drama character “Shehzori”.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Zohra Yusuf shared statistics on the low rate of reports and convictions in women-related cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2014.