‘16 Days’ event at SZABIST University: UN official joins the call for an end of cyber harassment in Pakistan

Karachi: Cyber harassment on-campus and off-campus is as damaging to women as physical violence and abuse experienced, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said to students and faculty members of SZABIST, the country’s leading technological university as she called for their commitment to speak out for sexual harassment at campuses to end.

This is a new driver of potential harmful gender inequality as more and more Universities and students gain internet access. Sexual harassment is intolerable, and we are witnessing that students are providing inspirational leadership in combatting it. Now is the time for stronger action and we have to start from education, said the Executive Director.

To be disconnected from technology in the 21st century, is like having your freedom disrupted: your right to learn, your right to work, your right to meet people, your freedom of speech. We need to constantly make the point about the advantages of education and technology for women.

Ms. Nasreen Haque, Vice President of SZABIST, Karachi Campus, said, We need to join hands and exercise the power of solidarity to promote and coordinate efforts to advance the full realization of women’s rights, to tell them how valuable and precious they are; that they are to be treated with dignity and respect; that they should disregard anyone who demeans or devalues them. On behalf of SZABIST, I propose a Consortium of Chairs of anti-sexual harassment committees of universities of Karachi to share their experiences.***