Mere awareness campaigns about women’s rights are not enough to stop violence against women, rather it is necessary that men come forward and play their role to encourage norms of consent and gender equality.
This was stated by the White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan Country Director Omar Aftab here at the launching ceremony of one million signatures campaign. The drive coincided with the International White Ribbon Day which was also marked on Wednesday.
Omar also announced on the occasion the launch of a nationwide journalists’ engagement programme on gender sensitisation and violence against women and establishing the White Ribbon Media Alumni.
The campaign is a project of Women’s Empowerment Group and Vision 2015 working with men and boys to eradicate women’s human rights violations.
Omar said that for decades, women in Pakistan had been enduring mistreatment and injustice in the guise of inhumane customs and laws such as karo-kari, Hudood Ordinance, qasas, marriage to the Quran or through innumerable forms of violence like acid-throwing, cutting or burning.
He observed those “many faces of injustice” were deeply rooted in the social system that catered to the needs of the man at the cost of ignoring the other half of the society.
He added economic deprivations, lack of education, lack of awareness and misinterpretation of religion were among the “countless” reasons why women were subjected to such a treatment in the society. He said the campaign was an initiative to end all such violence against women.
