PESHAWAR:Blue Veins, a non-governmental organization working for women empowerment has urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police to propagate the services of the Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) and ensure that information about their existence and functioning is widely disseminated.
It is essential for women across the region to be aware of the resources available to them for resolving disputes and seeking justice, it added.
This can be achieved through targeted awareness campaigns, community outreach programs and collaboration with local civil society organizations.
According to a press release issued here on Friday, the Blue Veins, in collaboration with Aurat Foundation and supported by UN Women, is implementing the “Promoting Rule of Law, Legal Literacy, and Women’s Access to Justice project in the four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The initiative, with a focus to address the barriers in access to available justice mechanisms for women and girls in gender based violence cases and improving legal literacy among women and girls, is also working with DRCs for effective redressal at the community level.
The constitution of DRCs by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Government represents a groundbreaking step toward dispute resolutions.
Furthermore, Blue Veins emphasizes the importance of capacity-building training for the members of the DRCs.
Enhancing their knowledge and skills in dispute resolution, gender sensitivity, and human rights will enable them to effectively address the specific needs and concerns of women who seek their assistance.
Such training programs should be conducted regularly to ensure the continuous development and effectiveness of the DRCs.
Sana Ahmad, Program Coordinator Blue Veins said, DRCs hold particular significance for women and their existence represents a vital tool in empowering women to seek justice for grievances often overlooked or sidelined by formal justice systems.
She said that the DRCs was providing a platform that is locally accessible, culturally sensitive and less intimidating, enabling women to pursue resolution and justice in a supportive and familiar environment.
Additionally, Blue Veins called for the establishment of DRCs in all districts under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act, 2017, she said and added that the presence of DRCs in every district would ensure that women in need of justice could access these services conveniently and without undue hardship.
Program Officer Blue Veins Aliza Mehfooz said that to promote inclusiveness and equal representation, it was vital that women were actively involved in each council, both as members and decision-makers.
The civil society organization also urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Department to provide gender-segregated data and analysis of reported cases.
This will facilitate a better understanding of the specific challenges women face in the region and inform evidence-based policies and interventions to address these issues effectively, they said.