Kashmiri women must not be forgotten, Pakistan says on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, the Pakistani government  reaffirmed its commitment to the empowerment of women in the country and take steps to eliminate violence against them, Geo News reported.

A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that  Pakistan has made steady progress to protect women from violence, domestic abuse, and harassment, together with safeguarding their social and property rights, through several measures on legislative, policy, institutional levels.

"Pakistan’s National Action Plan on Human Rights has ‘Protection of Women’ as one of its key priority areas. Women Protection Centres and a 24-hour Helpline (1099) have been established to provide free legal advice, redressal and referral mechanism," the statement said.

The government of Pakistan also wrote that the day should serve as a solemn reminder to   address the "systematic violence against women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)."