Authorities should recognise role of women, says HRCP

LAHORE: On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called upon the authorities concerned to recognise the role of women human rights defenders and protect them from discrimination, harassment and attacks. 

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the commission said: “Women rights defenders are subject to the same types of risks as any human rights defender, but as women, they are more vulnerable to gender-specific violence and gender-specific threats.”

“Numerous human rights defenders are killed, attacked or face other kinds of threats or harassment in Pakistan every year. It is perplexing that the government still argues that “human rights defenders” are not a special group and do not warrant a special legal status.

 Even worse, senior representatives of the government repeatedly call human rights defenders ‘foreign agents’, ‘proponents of Western values’ and ‘anti-Islam’. Such statements make them vulnerable to harassment, threats and even attacks.”  

“On many international forums, Pakistan claims to be a ‘democratic and progressive country’ firmly committed to the ‘promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The government must now follow up rhetoric with concrete action by publicly acknowledging the important and legitimate role of women human rights defenders in the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy, and rule of law. The government must ensure that women HRDs are provided a secure and equal environment in which they can carry out their work without fear,” the commission said.