Aid, Activism and Agenda 2030

Addressing GBV requires practical solutions, empowering women, and reforming advocacy to bring real change in Pakistan

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What about men and violence against males? This question frequently arises in discussions on the rights of women, girls and other gender identities. There is no disregard here - gender discourse has stretched beyond a binary view. Diverse identities, both sex- and gender-based, entail specific and subtle attention without turning them into objects of controversy. Gender Based Violence (GBV) can, and does, affect men and boys as well. What must be remembered is a simple yet often unheeded fact: the burden of both disease and honour is disproportionately placed on females, making the nature of sexual and gender-based violence against them fundamentally different. Gender mainstreaming does not preclude women- and girl-focused interventions.

Digital platforms have emerged as game-changers, amplifying discourse and enabling critique, support and mobilisation around many global agendas. However, they also expose gaps in accessibility, accountability and achievement for defenseless people. The internet is inundated with information on the process, history, implementation, effectiveness and evaluation of the tools intended to transform societies, policies and the human condition. From the UDHR in 1948 to Agenda 2030 (Sustainable Development Goals/SDGs) in 2015, a plethora of landmark conferences, conventions, treaties and UN resolutions have emerged focused on women's rights, population, youth, refugees, gender equality, minorities and peace. Globally, sectors and subsectors conventionally spotlighted by the social development industry are facing cutbacks, creating dangerous spaces where insidious practices can thrive. Among those most likely to suffer in this fall-off are initiatives under SDG 5, which is dedicated to empowering women and addressing numerous related issues, including GBV.

There is a compelling need for well-defined scrutiny and noticeable shifts in the approaches taken by aid and technical agencies and their budgets. This introspection is hard-hitting, as those in power are often reluctant to initiate reforms that might expose conflicts of interest and reveal multiple layers of strategic deception.

Consequently, campaigns like the 16 Days of Activism against GBV are usually commemorated with business-as-usual attitudes. Paid campaigns feature rented crowds, familiar faces, and, at times, a weak connection to grassroots efforts, punctuated by glamorous photoshoots and glossy reports that claim impactful partnerships with disadvantaged communities.

Yet, the reality is often laid bare by social, economic and gender indicators in countries like Pakistan, where elite capture and sham democracies have essentially rendered advancement deplorable and disgraceful.

Ironically, at high-profile events, "they" (the entitled ones) discuss these issues on behalf of the marginalised. NGOs, bureaucrats and others in the "social development" ecosystem get their shares, so the story of "successful projects" continues. Adding insult to injury, many academics and lobbyists are now in advisory roles, often with little real understanding of "what went wrong" since they no longer reside in the country and have little to no on-ground experiences. They receive generous consultancy fees, while young and seasoned local experts and committed advocates work for minimal wages or even unpaid.

There is no simple or swift solution to these difficult questions. The irony lies in the silence of celebrated activists and advocates who avoid raising challenging questions that could anger sponsors. I have spoken out frequently and paid the price but that does not hinder my ambition for transformative change. With that intention, once again, this year, I am proposing practical solutions to help steer change.

Human resources departments need to rethink their policies to ensure women are not questioned about previous job departures or past salaries. Adequate resources must be allocated to support women's safe travel and accommodation, regardless of their position, grade or rank. Background checks on previous supervisors are especially relevant, given the prevalence of unreported workplace harassment and discriminatory, complex complaint mechanisms. Employers should understand that women often suffer in silence - not only due to misogynistic men but also at the hands of patriarchal women. Men typically survive scandals unscathed, rarely finding their reputations at stake. The lens of morality is applied differently to women. What harm would it cause an organisation to assess women solely based on their CVs, without factoring in their circumstances and choices?

An overhaul of official delegations representing vulnerable populations at important forums - notably special UN sessions on the status of women and similar events - is necessary. Hollow advocacy must be eliminated. More and more attention should be given to service delivery meaning more schools, teachers, enrollments, school health programmes, health care facilities, specialised care facilities like fistula, acid attacks, burn injuries care facilities, skilled birth attendants and much more. This means a reduction in fancy fashion shows, walks and other ceremonial gestures catering to a typical class.

Workplaces for women should be detoxified and improved by providing bathrooms with locks, dustbins with lids, and places for ablution. Daycare facilities should be a non-negotiable standard.

Empowerment of women, girls and youth can never be achieved through dance and drama performances by elite performers or digital art competitions. Local artists and artisans from indigenous communities must be identified and involved in these activities, and context-specific solutions, rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, must be visibly adopted and promoted. All advocacy actions should be conducted in Urdu and key Pakistani languages. Awareness raising should lead to actions too. Empathy should be taught as a compulsory course in public sector organisations and civil services academies and should be integrated into public policy.

These suggestions may sound overly simplistic, but they are rooted in personal lived experiences and observations. Only courageous and compassionate decision-makers and financial controllers can translate these recommendations into living realities. The silver lining is that none of this is a fairy-tale vision - it is entirely realisable.

Now is the time to revisit the stock of extensive and complex frameworks, reassessing the uneven enactment and dubious successes of international agreements, which too often leave marginalised communities behind. It is time to call out colonial and elitist mindsets and the normalisation of the vulgar display of patriarchy, pedigree and privilege, without mincing words. It is time to initiate difficult conversations at our workplaces and see the elephant in the room. This is neither irrationality nor absurdity but an inevitable step toward ensuring rights, reporting violence, and rejecting perpetrators.