Collaborative effort for human rights protection stressed

PESHAWAR: leaders belonging to different political, members of civil society and government officials have stressed the need for an integrated approach to promote gender equality and protect human rights.

The call was given during a networking forum organised by the Shaoor Foundation for Education and Awareness (SFEA), a non-profit organisation focused on socio-political peacebuilding, democracy, governance, women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.

The forum titled “Towards Inclusive Governance: A Networking Forum for Legislative Actions on Gender Rights,” held here on Sunday. Political figures, including KP Assembly members Sher Ali Afridi and Fazal Elahi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, former speaker of the Provincial Assembly Kiramatullah Khan Chagarmati, Awami National Party (ANP) MPA Nisar Baz, representatives of the commission on the status of women, health officials, educators, civil society representatives, media personnel, and political leaders attended the event.

The organisers of the event provided a comprehensive overview of gender rights in the country, especially in KP, underscoring the need for prioritising gender mainstreaming.Nisar Baz stressed that while human and gender rights are constitutionally protected, they remain poorly enforced due to systemic challenges. He emphasized the importance of enforcing existing laws to promote gender equality and called for greater freedom of expression to help marginalized voices be heard in the assembly.

Sher Ali Afridi reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the rights of women, minorities, and transgender individuals. He announced plans for new legislation and amendments to existing laws, ensuring they are reviewed through a gender-sensitive lens.

Afridi also revealed the establishment of district-level Public Safety Commissions, which would include representation from both government and opposition members, as well as transgender individuals. He acknowledged the difficulty in implementing legislation in Pakistan’s history but emphasized the need to learn from past mistakes to create more effective and sustainable laws.

Afridi also hinted at an upcoming conference focused on addressing women’s, transgender, and human rights challenges. Former speaker KP assembly, Kiramatullah Khan Chagarmati criticised the government policies on women’s education and employment, urging the need for better educational opportunities for women.

The forum participants raised concerns over the slow progress in addressing gender disparities and advocated for a collective, non-partisan approach to tackling this issue. Yasir Abbasi, Programme Manager at SFEA, shared recommendations for promoting gender equality and addressing growing concerns such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence, urging immediate legislative action.The lawmakers agreed on the urgency of passing laws to combat such violence and protect human rights through democratic processes.