Pledge campaign planned for end to violence against women

Islamabad:The White Ribbon marked the White Ribbon Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women, and launched a nationwide pledge campaign.

White Ribbon launched its official theme of the year #iPledge. The purpose of launching this theme is to engage the maximum number of people especially men and boys to take the pledge; Never to Commit, never to support and never to remain silent about violence against women.

At the launch CEO White Ribbon Omer Aftab showed solidarity with victims of violence.

Expressing concerns over the poor conditions of Pakistani women, he stressed the need for immediate steps for the eradication of violence against women. One in five women in Pakistan faces domestic violence and the ratio has alarmingly increased by 20% in recent years.

Omer Aftab said the objective of the campaign was to raise awareness of women’s rights, strengthen support mechanisms for victims of violence and advocate for pro-women legislation. He said the fulfilment of women's rights was an ongoing struggle and all stakeholders must join hands for the cause.

"The White Ribbon is men’s movement to end violence against women with a unique approach of addressing the patriarchal mindset of individuals and society. We believe it is not sufficient to create awareness about women's rights among women only but it is necessary that men join along with them, encourage norms of consent, respect and gender equality, and challenge the unfair power relations, which promote gender-based violence," he said.