Community Awareness regarding Gender Based Violence

16 Days Activism

Seminar-28^th November, 2013

 Peshawar- A one day seminar was arranged by Society for Rights and Development in partnership with Strengthening Participator Organization (SPO) at frontier Regions of FATA titled: Community Awareness regarding Gender Based Violence in connection of 16 Days Activism starting from November 25, 2013 up to 10^th December, 2013. A large number of participants attended the seminar and spoke on the occasion regarding the topic. Zar Ali Khan Afridi Executive Director Society for Rights and Development welcomed the participants and said that violence has been defined by UN General Assembly in 1993 as Violence against women means any act of Gender Based Violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. In 1993 the General Assembly went to present a partial list of what it felt constituted Gender Based Violence including

1.      Physical, sexual, and psychological  

2.       Child sexual

3.       Dowry related violence

4.       Marital rape

5.       Female genital mutilation

6.      Rape and sexual abuse

7.      Sexual harassment in the workplaces and educational institutions

8.      Trafficking in women

9.      Forced prostitution

Men often use violence to punish perceived transgression of Gender roles to show authority and to save honor. . Violence against women is often considered normal and justified by broader society rather a criminal act, and victims instead of perpetrators are often stigmatized. Violence against women therefore can not be understood in isolation from the gender norms, social structure and roles that influence women, s vulnerability to violence. He said that violence against women can be included just slapping, hitting and beating of women and girls.  These are minors things in our society but these are crimes on the part of men against women. Women in this part of the world often keep silent over such violence. This is domestic violence. In our country bill against domestic violence was rejected by senate as well as provincial assembly of Khyber pakhtunkhwa. The MPs thought it was a family matter and such matter should not be brought to courts. This is just face saving which is not acceptable he maintained. We need to mobilize our community against violence.  For such practices to stop we need the following few things which are important to control violence against women in our society.  

1.      Reforming community based non formal system of justice

2.      Community mobilization to influence and monitor policy reforms

3.      Individual behavior change strategy

4.      Educating law enforcement and public about new laws if any. In FATA there is no such law and we are struggling to formulate the laws by pressuring government and to enforce them in FATA.

5.      Broad investment in strengthening  the law enforcement response to Gender Based Violence

6.      Special public cells and family courts are to be set up but again such rights are not given to women in FATA. Because in FATA no law of existing 16 women related laws has been extended which itself is a violation of women rights by state.

7.      Comprehensive medico-legal system reforms

8.      Building networks and alliances between legal, social and health organizations of FATA.

9.      Reforming informal justice system if exists any. As for as FATA is concerned Jirgas are held to solve most of the issues and matters. A Jirga is also constituted to decide the future of a girl and woman but unfortunately there is no representation or voice of the women and girl in Jirgas. In Pashtun Jirgas women are not given representation and only males have power to decide women and girls future. Other participants also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of 16 Days Activism campaign and pledged that despite the hard and tough situations the movement needs to be continued and women should be given due place in society equal to males.

Regards

Zar Ali Khan Afridi

Executive Director

Society for Rights and Development-03015963337