Research on contemplating men legislator’s attitude towards women legislators empowerment.
SPO’s research study with the support of the Australian government to analyse the attitudes of male legislators and whether they provide space to women legislators to function effectively.
Findings of report launched by SPO in December 2017
Problems faced by women lawmakers discussed and presented that were revealed in research study by SPO. The study is based on the explorations of perceptions of members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, aiming to address issues of women empowerment. According to the report, in 2015 women made up more than half of the world’s population but only constituted 22.1% of the world’s parliaments. Currently, 20% of Pakistan’s parliamentarians are women, with a reserved quota of 17%.
Sharing learnings and key findings from Programme’s Phase 1
Stakeholders from Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW),Panah Shelter Home, social welfare department, media, Sindh Assembly and SPO share learning and finding on advocacy strengthening pro-women laws for improved GBV response services in Sindh. Party heads, bureaucrats were asked to contribute more for women empowerment in Sindh.
Situation Analysis on Implementation of Pro-women Laws in Sindh”, whose findings were shared in an event organised
Few cases have been filed under the Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011, and the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013. However, the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2013, has been least applied so far in Sindh though women are frequently subjected to domestic violence in the province.
Speakers call for consolidated efforts in implementation of women friendly laws in Sindh
Stakeholders in Sindh including Members of Provincial Assembly Sindh, the convener of Women Parliamentary Caucus, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh, Australian High Commission’s First Secretary Development Corporation, Chairperson Sindh Commission on the Status of Women and representatives from Trocaire and SPO call for consolidated efforts for effective implementation of pro-women laws in Sindh.
Inauguration Ceremony of Sindh Commission on Status of Women
The Sindh Commission on the Status of Women ACT 2015 was passed by the Provincial Assembly Sindh on 6th of April, 2015, assented by the Governor of Sindh on 12th of May, 2015. The Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW)) was established on September 08, 2017 after rigorous efforts of Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) with the support of Provincial Steering Forum (PSF), women rights activists and media persons. Sindh Provincial Commission on the Status of Women (SPCSW) performs the functions assigned to it for promotion of social, economic, political and legal rights of women.
SPO organized an inauguration ceremony of the SCSW in Karachi on 29th of the November 2017. In addition to civil society organizations, Provincial Steering Forum (PSF), media and academia, representatives of Women Development Department, Social Welfare Department, Human Rights Department, Home Department and Chairperson of Sindh Commission On the Status of Women, attended the event. Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Women Development, Ms. Stacy Greenes – First Secretary Development Corporation Australian High Commission, Ms. Ishrat Jabeen, Programme Director, Trócaire, Ms. Najma Khan-Program Manager Gender, Australian Government and Ms. Saira Shahliani, Convener, Sindh Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) Assembly were also present at the inauguration ceremony of SCSW.
The launch of ‘Policy Advocacy and Research to Strengthen Implementation of Pro-Women Legislation and Gender-based Violence Response Services in Sindh’. First phase of the intervention was 17-month by SPO from Jan 2017 to May 2018 to improve women’s protection and GBV response services in Sindh under promulgated pro-women laws in Sindh
Launching ceremony of a watchdog in form of a provincial network ‘Provincial Steering Forum (PSF)’ to implement pro-women laws
Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) formed a Provincial Steering Forum comprising civil society and women rights activists, government officials and media personnel to facilitate effective implementation of laws and serve as a catalyst to generate discussion in and around corridors of policymakers.
A number of leading civil society and women rights activists, parliamentarians, officials from various government departments, including health, social welfare and women development, police and journalists attended the forum’s launch in March 2017. Terming it a “movement”, speakers at the meeting said the newly formed forum would force the government to implement pro-women laws, such as ‘Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act 2013’, ‘Anti-Women Practices 2011’ and ‘Domestic Violence (Prevention & Protection) Act 2013’.
