One day Workshop on Women/Human Rights for district government officers and officials.
CHITRAL: A one day workshop on women and human rights was held here for district government officials. The workshop was organized by Easy & Equitable Access to Justice Program for Women of Chitral (EEAJPW) a project of Legal Aid Forum for Human Rights (LAFH) funded by TROCIARE (Ireland). District Coordination Officer Chitral was chief guest on the occasion while District Nazim Haji Maghfirat Shah was presiding over the seminar. Niaz A Niazi Advocate president LAFH briefed the participants about aim and objectives of the organization which is totally working free of cost for oppressed, helpless, needy and deserving people especially women folk of the society. Niaz Ali Shah project coordinator exploring regarding human and women rights violation and discriminations between male and female in his presentation through a projector.
Main objective of the seminar was to share the findings of the study conducted by EEAJPW Chitral regarding women rights issues. He said main aim of the study was to identify gaps in implementation in women rights law in Chitral.
He said women folk is an important component of our society but they are always ignoring and depriving from their basic rights in our society. He said even a mother also treat distinguish with her sons as comparative to her daughters. According to finding of a study he said that they are harassing at different corner even there is no sufficient schools on government level. He said there are 565 school for male but only 185 schools for women showing the different of 250%. Similarly 1827 teachers of boys but only 606 for girls showing the difference of 300%. Poverty limited infrastructure, non accessibility to high schools and early marriage are the major factors that stop female from continuing their education to tertiary level.
He said there is also great discrimination in health sector as there are 22 BHU but only 3 or 4 have qualified doctors and the remaining one are without any doctor. Rights of women in marriage also violating through early marriage or marriage without their proper consent or counseling. He said there is also lack of recognition of women rights and their work seldom appreciating by male. Lake of women in decision making, women trafficking, political oppression, Discriminations in employment, denial of women rights in property and inheritance lack of access to legal aid for justice are main hurdles in the way of women development and their rights he added. Similarly major issues in implementation of women rights law are lack of institutional mechanism for protection of women and rehabilitation, lack of education, lack of commitment of government, lack of awareness regarding women rights, customary practices and negative attitude, lengthy and complex courts procedure, lack of advocacy efforts, poor capacity of law enforcement officials and poor implementation of law are constraints in their way.
He said while briefing of recommendations for protecting of women rights are to change attitude through raising of awareness, to enhance the role of media to aware the masses regarding women rights, to discourage customary practices, strategy for gender mainstreaming in development, promoting education, improving health situation in the district, empowerment of women economically, rehabilitation and integration of victims, discouraging violence against women, improving and provision of opportunities of women to access to justice through provision of legal assistance, strengthening of institutions, partnership for change, monitoring of violations through local activism, documentations and research, enforcement of law are the only ways for implantation and supporting women rights.
DCO Chitral Mutasim Billah and District Nazim Maghfirat Shah hailed efforts and services of LAFH for protecting women and human rights. And they assured of their fully cooperation. A question answer session was also held. A large number of Executive District officers, representatives of line departments, and civil societies, women folk, doctors, lawyers and media men participated the workshop.
G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan telephone # 92 943-302295, 414418, 03025989602
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