Zubair Qureshi
On the eve of Pakistan National Women’s Day (Feb 12) Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre & DCHD supported by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) , launched the mobile phone application “Humqadam App”.
The App provides contact information regarding services that respond to cases of violence against women and girls and other human rights violations. The project was financially supported by the European Union.
The App serves as one-stop information tool for anyone who needs information about police and law enforcement, relevant laws, government helplines, ministries and commissions as well as civil society organisations that provide legal aid and psycho-social support.
The information covers so far information about Federal and Provincial institutions as well as a detailed mapping of services available in eight districts (Peshawar, Mardan, Lahore, Vehari, Quetta, Jaffarabad, Karachi and Hyderabad). Humqadam app also provides step-by-step information and guidance for victims of specific forms of violence, i.e. domestic violence, with available multi-sectoral referral pathways at all levels.
The mobile application has been developed by Shirkat Gah and the Democratic Commission on Human Development (DCHD), with the technical support of Technology for People Initiative (TPI) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).