Forum formed to end women’s torture in custody

Oxfam GB, in collaboration with Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) and South Asia Partnership (SAP), has introduced a project addressing women torture in custody. Under the project, women protection forum (WPF), comprising lawyers, police, doctors, civil society, women leaders and politicians, has been formed. WPF will be a district based body, based in Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. The project aims at creating awareness and improving the observance of women rights in Pakistan. It also serves to prevent and eradicate torture and ill treatment of women in police custody and in shelter homes and jails, and in assisting and rehabilitating women torture survivors in the society. Around 70 percent of the project’s activities would be focused on prevention of such cases, while the remaining 30 percent of the activities would be focused on the rehabilitation of women. The context of this forum is a number of points. These include the growing number of incidents of torture and HR violations, sexual violence, which is seldom reported, and no legislation concerning torture. In the last 10 years, about 10,421 cases of torture in custody have been reported in Pakistan. There are several which go unreported too. The project aims at: gender sensitisation of law enforcement agencies, creation of accessible and facilitative environment for women and rehabilitation of women torture survivors.