PESHAWAR:Aawaz-II programme in collaboration with the KP Commission on Status of Women marked the global campaign ’16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV)’ by organizing a provincial consultation on GBV referral pathways here.
It brought together about 60 activists from Swabi, Haripur, Swat, Battagram, Mansehra, Mardan, Charsadda, Kohat and Peshawar. Senor representatives of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, the KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission and the KP Ombudsperson for Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace attended the event.
In her opening remarks, Dr Riffat Sardar, Chair KP Commission on Status of Women and Aawaz Provincial Forum in KP said, “Mapping services is essential for improving access to them.”
She also reaffirmed the commitment of the KP Government in reducing gender-based violence, and cited the passage of the Domestic Violence Law as an example of this commitment.
Deputy Chief of KP Child Protection and Welfare Commission Ijaz Khan said that Child Protection Units are working in 12 districts of the province, while a “Zumangkor” for girls has also been established.
He requested communities to use the commission’s helpline 1121 to report child protection cases.
Deputy Secretary, Social Welfare and Women’s Empowerment Warda Latif said that the Bolo Helpline is operational in five districts and efforts are afoot to extend it across the province.
Senior Legal Officer KP Ombudsperson Nuzhat Taskeen said that they have the mandate to focus on two areas: sexual harassment of women at the workplace, and property matters.
An activist from Swabi shared a case of domestic violence in which the survivor was not aware of the procedure to file an FIR. Through the assistance of Aawaz-II, an FIR was filed and the perpetrator was arrested.
A short video on the Aawaz-II’s role in the prevention of early marriage in Mansehra was also shown.
A community activist from Charsadda shared that the FIA did not respond to their complaint about online harassment of a young girl. Many participants emphasized the need for behavioural change to ensure zero tolerance on gender-based violence.
Dr Yasmin Zaidi, Team Lead Aawaz II – British Council said that prevention, protection and prosecution are the three P’s of GBV.
Deputy Country Director British Council, Pakistan Maariya Rehman said, “With the platform of Aawaz-II, we are encouraging everyone to get involved to amplify voices to reduce and prevent violence against women and girls and protect women’s rights.”