Sukkur: The Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) organized a one day seminar on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) at its Head Office here on Tuesday to raise awareness among stakeholders, promote collective action, and strengthen referral mechanisms for survivors.
The seminar, led by IMSD Manager Zubair Soomro and coordinated by SRSO District Office Sukkur, was attended by representatives from government line departments, civil society organizations, and community institutions.
Participants included officials from the Social Welfare Department, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Child Protection Unit and PHRO along with representatives from NGOs and organizations such as IOM, Sahil, Nari Foundation, FRDP, and Goth Seengar. Community-based institutions including Community Organizations (COs), Village Organizations (VOs) and Local Support Organizations (LSOs) also participated.
Welcoming the participants, District Manager SRSO Sukkur Khan Muhammad stressed the need for collective efforts to prevent and respond to GBV.
In his presentation, Zubair Soomro outlined various forms of GBV, including physical, sexual, emotional, social, and economic violence, and discussed their impact on individuals, families, and society. He highlighted the importance of establishing effective referral pathways to ensure survivors receive timely medical, legal, psychosocial, and protection services.
During the interactive session, speakers shared experiences and recommendations. Ahsan noted that GBV is not limited to poverty or illiteracy but is deeply rooted in cultural norms, social attitudes, and behaviors. He called for increased community awareness and stronger referral systems.
Zahid Khaskheli pointed out that gender discrimination often begins at home through unequal treatment of sons and daughters. Even small practices, like giving preference to boys over girls in food or resources, reinforce inequality from childhood and lead to discriminatory attitudes later, he said.
A representative from Sahil emphasized that the family is a child’s first learning space and that children imitate what they observe. Promoting respect, equality and positive parenting at home is key to preventing GBV, she added.
Abdul Qudoos said poverty is another major contributing factor and stressed that improving livelihood opportunities can help reduce incidents of violence in communities.
SRSO Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro also joined the seminar and encouraged participants, especially women from communities, to openly discuss harmful practices such as early and forced marriages and other forms of violence against women and girls. Community members actively shared their experiences and suggestions during the session.
In the concluding remarks, Mr Zia from IOM emphasized that all GBV cases must be handled with strict confidentiality and that survivors should have access to safe spaces to report incidents without fear. He reiterated the importance of coordinated referral services for medical, legal, psychosocial, and protection support.
The seminar concluded with a joint commitment by all stakeholders to continue awareness campaigns, strengthen coordination, and improve referral mechanisms to prevent GBV and support survivors.
Certificates of participation were distributed by CEO Muhammad Dittal Kalhoro and District Manager, Khan Muhammad in recognition of the participants’ commitment to building safer and more inclusive communities.