ISLAMABAD: Empowering women and protecting their rights is a central pillar of Pakistan’s development paradigm. The Constitution of Pakistan clearly states that men and women are to be given their fundamental rights without any discrimination.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said this on Wednesday while speaking at the virtually held third extraordinary session of the ministerial council of Women Development Organisation (WDO) of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The session was held on the special invitation of the chair of the ministerial council of WDO and president of National Council for Women in Egypt.

She informed the council that Pakistan was also a signatory to several international commitments on gender equality and women’s rights including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Sustainable Development Goals.

“Pakistan has taken concrete steps towards strengthening legislation related to violence against women, harassment, economic participation and inheritance,” she said, adding that “recently, Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022 has been enacted, that was drafted by the Ministry of Human Rights with extensive input from women rights groups and lawyers. This piece of legislation specifically includes domestic workers who are usually at a greater risk of workplace violence and harassment”.

Successful steps in the form of Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Human Rights Cells in Courts, Women Police Stations, nationwide help lines, national and provincial commissions on the status of women, provincial women development departments and directorates as well as a Women’s Bank and establishment of National Human Rights Complaint Cell are examples of how institutional framework in Pakistan to protect women rights has been formulated.

Lastly, she pointed out the use of violence and oppression against women and children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Muslim women in India.

She said the OIC must take measures to protect people from this violence incited by the Indian government.

In her concluding remarks, she said Pakistan firmly believes that economic growth could not be achieved without sustainable development and peace or prosperity without gender equality.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2022