Escaping abuse: District-level shelters, help centres for women proposed

Aurat Foundation suggests legislation to curb domestic violence.


Our Correspondent December 24, 2012
“The killing of women over dowry, domestic violence and the abandonment of wedded women are common,” says Qayyum. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:


Women’s rights advocates have proposed the establishment of district-level shelters and vocational training centres for women escaping abusive relatives.


The proposals were among several in a draft prepared by the Aurat Foundation in consultation with Rutgers WPF (World Population Foundation) and shared with women parliamentarians, lawyers and members of civil society organisations here on Monday.

“The proposed policy will be presented to the Punjab government for legislation. The Aurat Foundation is advocating policy reforms in the area of women’s rights that are based on providing protection with dignity,” said officials from the NGO at the consultation.

The policy is based at least partly on research conducted by Rutgers WPF in DG Khan and Muzaffargarh. “The killing of women over dowry, domestic violence and the abandonment of wedded women are common,” said Rutgers WPF Programme Manager Kanwal Qayyum while presenting her research.

She said that laws aimed at punishing the perpetrators of crimes against women, including the Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act of 2010, were rarely used by women for their protection.

Kanwal Qayyum

“Corrective or remedial justice to rectify the wrong done to a woman victim is absent in our legal system. This state of affairs requires urgent action on the part of the state to establish a system of rescue, assistance, shelter and rehabilitation for women survivors,” Qayyum said.

Under the proposed legislation, a protection system for women would be established in all 36 districts of the province. It would include a round-the-clock helpline with a toll free number. Survivors of abuse would be offered shelter, medical help, counselling and emotional support, legal advice and vocational training and rehabilitation. Where needed, women could be rescued from abusive situations and protection from further violence. The district protection system would be open to any women over 16 years of age who has been abused, trafficked, affected by conflict or natural disaster, or who is mentally ill. It would be open to single women, widows or those abandoned by their husbands.

Each district would have a women’s protection committee headed by the DCO. The committee would meet once a quarter to review the work of the protection system and discuss any related issues.

Maleeha Zia, a prominent lawyer, made a presentation on proposed legislation to protect survivors of violence and its implementation. “Women should be made self-reliant,” she said. The government needs to introduce new legislation and implement existing laws, she added.

Aurat Foundation Resident Director Nasreen Zehra and Coordinator Mumtaz Mughal also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2012.

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