Women empowerment: Passing of domestic violence bill stressed

Participants focus to raise awareness about various facets of violence.

ISLAMABAD: Women participants at a seminar urged for the passing of the domestic violence bill.

These views were expressed at a seminar titled Facets of Violence, Community Response and Way Forward held here on Friday, jointly organised by ActionAid Pakistan and Sustainable Development Institute (SDPI).

The event was held to raise awareness about various facets of violence, how community ownership and realization of problems at the grass root levels can set a solution and what measures can be taken for Domestic Violence bill (DVB) approval.

The participants included Anis Haroon, chairperson National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW), Tasleem Mazhar from ActionAid and Mome Saleem from SDPI.

“The bill has very closely been followed by NCSW and other civil society organisations but the parliamentary procedures and tiresome processes, political elements in the parliament as well as other the priorities of the government have been hampering the passage of this bill,” said Anis Haroon while addressing the participants.

She said that provincial assemblies should be proactive in taking women-friendly legislations forward and push for legislation on domestic violence. “If the resolution in two provincial assemblies is passed we can table the bill in joint session of National Assembly and Senate,” she said.

Mome Saleem from SDPI said, “Violence at family and community levels is tacitly condoned, or even actively promoted through laws, institutions, tribal customs and informal judicial practices.”

Arifa Mazhar said that 6000 community organisations have been formed and women are well represented in it.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.