‘Laws needed to protect vulnerable people’

Women MPs helped enact laws against gender-based violence

ISLAMABAD:

Women parliamentarians are determined to further strengthen legislation and oversight for protection of children and women.

Yet, as representatives of the people, parliaments have a particular responsibility to ensure that the interests and rights of all sectors of society are respected and promoted. They play a key role in ensuring that international commitments are translated into national realities.

Parliamentarians are playing an efficient role in taking forward the issues of public interest particularly related to women, children and people who are transgender.

This was stated during a dialogue jointly hosted by Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and Search for Justice in collaboration with Australian Aid.

MNA Munaza Hassan and Secretary Women’s Parliamentary Caucus shared that women parliamentarians remained at forefront to support the legislation in parliament to ensure the protection of children and ending gender-based violence.

She particularly mentioned that Women’s Parliament Caucus, comprised on all women members of National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan, is always ready to receive any proposal for introducing a piece of legislation or for the purpose of amendment with a view to strengthen the law to protect the rights of vulnerable segments of society.

Search for Justice Executive Director Iftikhar Mubarik said that women parliamentarians in particular introduce legislative business in parliament to draw attention of concerned ministries to ensure that the legislation is implemented.

Parliamentary affairs expert Ali Imran shared that every law affects women, men and people with other gender identities so it should be mandatory review all legislation with gender sensitive lenses. He proposed that Women’s Parliamentary Caucuses should take up one or two law per year to ensure the implementation of that particular law, as lack of implementation is a major challenge in third world countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2021.