Aawaz II Programme here on Sunday organized a provincial consultation to mark the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) through its provincial partner Peace & Justice Network (PJN) in Punjab. The consultation, titled “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls in Punjab,” brought together over 60 government officials, civil society representatives and Aawaz IIforum members to discuss mechanisms for preventing and addressing GBV in the province. Ms Nabila Hakim Ali Khan, Ombudsperson for Protection of Women against Harassment at the Workplace said: “The office of the Ombudsperson has notified a Rapid Action Task Force to create awareness of the legal framework to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace and expedite the reporting of cases of sexual harassment.
Ms. Sumaira Samad, Secretary of Women Development Punjab said, “We must work together to establish comprehensive safety and inclusion mechanisms that empower all women, girls, transgender persons, women with disabilities, and women from religious minorities.”
Dr Yasmin Zaidi, Aawaz II Team Lead, during her opening remarks said, “Leveraging its network of 40,000 volunteers within local communities across 37 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, Aawaz II address the critical issue of gender-based violence, child marriage and intolerance.
These dedicated community leaders actively work to empower their communities towards positive change, she added.
