One-day seminar: Speakers call for end to gender-based violence

MARDAN: Speakers at a one-day seminar here on Wednesday said that Islam has given great respect and dignity to women in society and gender-based violence must be eliminated.

The seminar titled “16 days of activism against gender-based violence” was arranged by STEP, a non-governmental organisation, at a hotel here.

Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Zahir Shah Toru, former district nazim Himayatullah Mayar, Maulana Ghulam Nabi, Ashraf Shaheen, chairman STEP, Mohammad Ismail Khan, execute director STEP, Robina Yasmeen, Aqila Sumbal, president women chamber of commerce and industry (WCCI), Malik Najeeb, Nazia Shah and journalists participated in the event.

The speakers said that violence against women could be in different ways and it could be violence carried out by individuals as well as states. They said that some forms of the violence perpetrated by individuals are rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, acid throwing, reproductive coercion, female infanticide, prenatal sex selection, obstetric violence, online gender-based violence and mob violence; as well as harmful customary or traditional practices such as honor killings, dowry violence, female genital mutilation, marriage by abduction and forced marriage.

They added that different threats were received by the female political activists and women working for the right of women.

They said women are 52 percent of the population but there are no opportunities for them. They said a commission for women be set up to look into their problems and issues. They said that several cases of women’s harassment occurred in different departments but no action was taken.

The deputy commissioner, election commissioner and officials of other departments did not attend the seminar.