PFP, STF raise voice against gender abuse

Bagh, (PFP report), Friday, 02 December 2011: Civil society organisations on Friday urged government to tighten laws to protect women from violence and discriminations. In order to create among general masses about women rights ‘ 16 Day awareness campaign’, is being carried out in Bagh District since 25 November. The campaign will end on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, as a reminder that women’s rights are human rights. This was announced in a joint press conference addressed by officials of various None Governmental organisations working for the rights of people and human development. Save the Future (STF), Press For Peace ([PFP), Dastak Foundation, Aurat KI Awaz Forum’s officials Yousaf Kashmiri, Imran Gillani, Sardar Javed Iqbal and Zahid Gillani represented their respective organisations during the conference and vowed to continue joint efforts for the protection of women rights. They demanded that government should ensure the safeguarding the basic human rights of all citizens including women and other disposed segments of the society. The 16-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women with the theme “UNITE: Stop VAW, Now!” is being celebrated from November 25 to December 10, 2011 across the world, including Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Giving reference of a recent Amnesty International report they said that gender-based violence, including rape, forced marriages, “honour killings”, acid attacks and other forms of domestic violence, was committed with impunity as police were reluctant to register and investigate complaints. They said that 1,195 women had been murdered as of late November in the county. Of these, 98 had been raped before they were killed. And a total of 321 women raped, and 194 gang-raped, they quoted the AI report.