“Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence” Campaign | Report
November 25 to December 10, 2003

Like every year, this year Working Women Organization is also organizing campaign on “Sixteen Days Activism Against Gender Violence” from November 25 to December 10, 2003 The main purpose of this campaign is to aware, educate the civil society organization, professionals, trade unions and general people to understand that how this curse is badly effecting on the women lives and great hindrance for the development of nation.During this campaign WWO's putt more stress and draw attention to the sensitivity of the issue, and motivate people to raise their voice against this crime. WWO strongly condemns all kinds of violence and discrimination against women.

Given below are the schedule of activities:
November 25, 2003
WWO will start campaign with talk show on “Violence Against Women” with the collaboration of Pakistan Television Corporation in which general people including women and men share their views about violence against women and how to eradicate it. PTV telecast this show at 10:00 am on November 25, 2003 in its “KHAWATINE TIMA” programs.

November 29, 2003
WWO will publish special edition of its newsletter about “Violence Against Women” and underline the causes of violence against women and its effect on women lives.Leaflets, posters, stickers will be developed to raise awareness among people on violence against women and gender discrimination, describing the strategies how to eradicate physical and mental violence against women. Printing material will be distributed widely.

December 1, 2003
Meeting will organize with lawyers, women parliamentarian, and members of law enforcement agencies to put the light about laws against violence and stress to make new legislation, which protect women rights, and element violence against women. Material will be distributed among factories and offices workers. Printed material will also send to newspapers to highlight this issue widely. Distribute leaflets, posters and sticker in schools and colleges in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faislabad, Sialkot, Shaikhupura.

December 2, 2003
WWO will organize meeting in its literacy and health care centers with women workers, In these meetings WWO will distribute leaflets about violence against women. Lady doctors will also be invited to delver lectures on violence and its bad effect on women and family. Corner meetings will organize in slum, sub urban and rural areas to emphasize the issue of domestic violence against women and its effect on women as well as their family. Discuss this issue with male members of family along with women.

December 3, 2003
WWO will present drama and skits in communities, raise the issues of violence against women, its impact on women mental and physical health and the consequences.

December 4, 2003
Gate Meetings organize in Gulberg Industrial Area with the workers of different factories, highlight the reason of violence against women and how to element this curse.

December 5, 2003
Write letters to concern authorities regarding Gender discrimination, violence against women and protection of victimized women and also urge to government authorities to Implement Convention for the Elimination of all kind of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and ILO Convention, 100, 111. Send recommendations to formulate laws against violence and sexual harassment at workplace.

December 6, 2003
WWO will present Drama in Kot Lakhpat Industrial Area, related with violence against women, sexual harassment and its impact on women. Also present drama in Brick kiln area Manga Mandi, to show up what kind of violence women are facing, and its consequences.

December 8, 9, 2003
Meetings with employers, law enforcement agencies, NGO’s and civil societies organizations, discuss them about physical and mental violence against women, and chalk out strategy to overcome these problems at workplace.

December 10, 2003
Press release will send to all newspapers about the activities which WWO organized under this campaign. December 18, 2003
To celebrate International Human Right Day, WWO will organize a “Human Chain” in Lahore on December 18, 2003 and different cities of Punjab, formal and informal sector women/men and children, media persons will join.
WWO will bring to light the issues and problems women workers are facing at their workplace, mental and physical violence, gender discrimination and sexual harassment against women, which damaging the capability of women. And also put attention on the violation of human right taking place in our country.

For more information contact:
Working Women Organization
E 5, 48/A Rehmania Street, Zaman Colony
Cavalry Grounds, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92-42-6686519 / 6686382
Fax: 92-42-6686519
Email: wwo@brain.net.pk; rubinawwo@nexlinx.net.pk

Sixteen Days Activism against Gender Violence

Despite Constitutional clauses that ensure equality and prohibit discrimination, the daily reality is far from this. 70 to 90 percent of women are victims of domestic violence at the hands of their husbands, in-laws, or other relatives. Domestic violence, which includes physical abuse, rape, acid throwing, burning and killing, is increasing.

Sexual harassment of women in the workplace is also very common and increasing due to huge pressure and social norms not an easy for women to raise their voice against harassment. “Only a very daring woman in Pakistan would want to go to court with a complaint about sexual harassment, which is often difficult o prove” comments a Karachi daily newspaper. Within this critical situation Working Women Organization always strongly condemns all forms of violence against women. Like previous years, this year WWO also organized 16 days campaign against gender violence. Main objective of this campaign is putting more stress and highlighting the sensitivity of this issue as well as motivating people to speak out and resist against violence.

Campaign’s activities and out puts
Under this campaign following activities were organized.

Talk Show:
Campaign started with talk show telecast on PTV on 25th of November 2003. Theme of show was “Violence against Women”. WWO designed and hosted show that got tremendous feed back. Audience and participants of the show expressed deep concern regarding the issue.
Produced short handout:About the basic causes, impacts and strategies of elimination of violence WWO produced short handouts. It’s distributed among 700 local and national organizations and 200 international labor, women and human rights organizations. This handout appreciated by different organizations and they endorsed WWO's campaign. 800 factory workers also received material and they liked the simple way of explaining this very important matter.

Literacy & health care centers’ role:
WWO discussed this issue with 150 women students in WWO’s literacy centers. WWO believes awareness is the first step to eliminate this curse. In centers WWO arranged lectures by lady doctor concerning physical and emotional impact of violence on women and children as well as on society.

Role Play & skits:
For getting communities attention and highlighting women issues, women workers studying in WWO's literacy centers presented role-plays and short skits. Through plays they presented women victimization and society's role for stopping this injustice. Skits showed that victim’ silence and lack of awareness is big reason of crimes happening against women. Communities appreciated these plays and expressed their understanding towards violence against women and its effect on women besides on entire whole society.

Meetings:
Out side 15 factories, gate meetings organized with workers (men & women). Nearly 500 workers (men & women) joined meetings and talked about violence and discriminations against women. Meetings with trade unionists, lawyers, women parliamentarian and members of law enforcement agencies were organized. 10 lawyers gave commitment to WWO that they would give legal support to victimize women. Women parliamentarians give promises that they will work for legislation against sexual harassment and protect women against violence against women.

8 big trade unions federations accepted that with out getting protection, women whom are half population couldn’t exercised their abilities and cannot play major role in development of the nation. So in terms of progress of workers, women workers issues must get priorities in trade unions' agenda. Because trade unionists are much responsible for abolishing any sort of discrimination, practising against women workers. WWO met chamber of commerce and industry office bearers and discussing that equal and protective work environment can increase workers capacity of work as well as production. So it is good for employers to provide better environment to women workers. Recommendations to concern authorities:WWO wrote letters to concern authorities and emphasised on following recommendations.

—Emotional and psychological violence should recognise as crime by legislation.
—WWO recommended that government must prepare a policy and legal framework for ''zero tolerance'' to gender-based violence and formulate a strategic framework for the protection of women under which family protection homes and crisis centers should be set up in every district.
—Educational curriculum should revise to reduce and eventually eliminate prejudice against women and to promote the equality of men end women.
—Gender discrimination, particularly relating to evidence, should be removed from the statute book and members of the criminal justice system should receive adequate, if necessary additional and continuing training to enhance their understanding of violence against women, its causes and consequences.
—An adequate number of women judges should be appointed and trained.
—Similarly, specialized prosecutors to handle cases of sexual abuse and rape should be appointed and additionally trained in gender violence to deal with such offences.
—For protection of women workers government must implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, labour laws & ILO convention 100, 111.

Human Chain for Protection of Women Rights
On the eve of International Human Rights Day Working Women Organization organized a “Human Chain” in front of Lahore Press Club with the slogan of “All Human Beings are born equal and free”. A strong chain of human hands declared that we can not tolerate any discrimination and exploitations on the basis of colour, creed, religion, sect and gender. 350 women workers from formal and informal sectors and children joined the chain and chanted slogans like “Women rights are human rights” “stop anti workers policies“, “eliminate black laws against women,” down with feudalism, “stop inflation,” “stop privatization”.

Media Coverage:
Newspapers gave enormous coverage to this campaign.

Women Workers & Children at Human Chain Organized by Working Women Organization

Working Women Organization
E 5, 48/A Rehmania Street, Zaman Colony
Cavalry Grounds, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92-42-6686519 / 6686382
Fax: 92-42-6686519
Email: wwo@brain.net.pk