KP govt to establish helpline for prevention of violence against women, says Mashal

PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Social Welfare and Women’s Development Mashal Azam Yousafzai has said that soon the provincial government would establish a 24/7 helpline for prevention of domestic violence against women.

Addressing the meeting of the 22nd Inter-Provincial Ministerial Group, he said that the purpose of the helpline was to address the variety of problems being faced by the women including gender discrimination, domestic violence and early marriage, said a press release issued here on Friday.

She said that being an advisor in the province she would fight for women empowerment in the province and would do everything for the rights and development of women, adding that the provincial government believed in gender equality.

Mashal further said that soon, the provincial assembly would pass legislation regarding child marriage and domestic violence.Referring to the KP Commission on Status of Women, she said that appointment of the chairperson for the commission would be made very soon.

Chairperson National Commission on Status of Women Nilofar Bakhtiar, Provincial Ombudsman for Anti-Harassment Rukhshanda Naz, UN Women, representatives of the four provinces and the top officials of the Department of Social Welfare attended the meeting.

The meeting passed a unanimous resolution in which women’s representation in the federal and provincial cabinets, decision-making process, establishment of separate ministries for women in the provinces, appointment of chairpersons of the Commission on Status of Women in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, appointment of Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in Provincial Assemblies and immediate implementation of Child Marriage Bill were demanded.