Provincial Consultative Lobbying Meetings to form Rules of Business and Committees to Strengthen GBV Response Services in Sindh

12 Provincial Consultative and Lobbying meetings have been held with Sindh government, policymakers and parliamentarians till May 2018.

 In 2017 meetings were held with members of Provincial Assembly Sindh – Ms. Mehtab Akbar Rashdi (MPA) and Member of Parliamentary Committee on PCSW Sindh, Ms. Sorath Thebo (MPA) and Member of Parliamentary Committee on PCSW, Ms. Naila Munir (MPA) and Member of Parliamentary Committee on PCSW, Ms. Nusrat Abbasi MPA (PML-F) Sindh were consulted for effective lobbying with government to establish the “Provincial Commission on Status of Women” (PCSW), Provincial and District Level Monitoring & Protection Commissions/Committees in Province of Sindh.

Suggestions were put up by senior parliamentarians as action points:

1. MPAs will take up questions in Sindh Assembly through call attention notice
2. Letter to secretary WDD will be submitted reference to the meeting showing the grave concern by MPAs on uncertain status of file summary on PCSW
3. Demand statement may be drafted for press on PCSW showing the grave concern on lack of the establishment of PCSW
4. Follow up meetings will be conducted with SO to Secretary level for copy of summary

In March 2018 consultative lobbying meeting was held with members of the Provincial Assembly Sindh representing the opposition benches of Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Sarzamin Party (PSP). Questions for call attention notices were shared to be submitted by the members of Provincial Assembly Sindh reasons and solution for addressing gaps in implementation of Sindh Child Marriage Restraint ACT 2013, Sindh Domestic Violence (pp) Act 2013 and to demand for increase in gender responsive budgets for protection, security and safety of the GBV survivors as per rules of business (RoBs) of the laws.

List of the business of Sindh Assembly dated 19^th of January and 12^th of March 2018 were taken up by MPAs in Sindh Assembly to Advisor Chief Minister Sindh on Women Development; Ms. Rana Ansar MPA from MQM on establishment of Provincial Domestic Violence Commission under the Sindh Domestic Violence (pp) Act 2013, Dr. Rafique Abhan on status of allocation and utilization of budget for welfare of women of Sindh, and Ms. Soorath Thebo on establishment of One Window Service in Sindh to end gender based violence in Sindh.   

Key Results:

• Members of Provincial Assembly Sindh became more aware on the status of the implementation of Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013 and Sindh Domestic Violence (pp)Act 2013
• Opposition parties in Sindh Assembly put forward the agenda of implementation of Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act 2013 and Sindh Domestic Violence (pp)Act 2013
• Discussion unfolded on women empowerment issues between civil society and members of Provincial Steering Forum.
• Questions taken up on implementation of pro women legislation in Sindh by members of Provincial Assembly Sindh hailing from opposition political parties.