The speakers stressed the need for taking immediate measures to eradicate unjust customs besides introducing laws against gender-based violence. GRAPHIC: EXPRESS/FILE
FAISALABAD:
The government should abolish all discriminatory laws against women and take measures to eliminate customs like vani and sawara and end honour killings.
Speakers demanded this at a conference on “A promise is a promise: time for action to end violence against women”, organised by the Arooj-i-Mariam Catholic Church, Faisalabad, at the Centre for Peace and Harmony here on Tuesday.
More than 700 people attended the conference. The speakers said the government should strictly enforce laws enacted to protect women in the society and at workplaces.
The speakers stressed the need for taking immediate measures to eradicate unjust customs besides introducing laws against gender-based violence and constituting educational and technical institutions for the empowerment of women. They said women were discriminated in the society and not included in decision-making. “We should provide equal rights to women so that they can contribute to the prosperity of the country,” they said.
The speakers included National Commission for Justice and Peace Director Nisar Barkat, Christina Peter, Bonnie Mendas, Isaac Emmanuel, Zafar Iqbal, Major Grace Salamat, Major Salamat and Aqsa Kanwal.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2013.
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