Women in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are directly affected by the Kashmir conflict but their voices are missing in the peace-building processes in Kashmir. These views were expressed by senior research fellow, Dr Shaheen Akhtar, during a discussion organised by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS), titled “the Role of AJK Women in Peace-Building in Kashmir,” on Friday. “There is hardly any AJK woman who is not affected by the Kashmir conflict, but his voice is missing in the peace-building processes in Kashmir,” she said.
Dr Shaheen maintained that the women in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, especially those from the dividing families and those living along the LoC and in refugee camps, were directly affected by the conflict across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Indian Held Kashmir. According to her, being half of the AJK civil society of AJK, the women’s voices could not be ignored in the peace-building efforts.
She asserted there was a strong link between socio-economic, legal and political status of women and their role in peace building. She suggested capacity building of women as peacemakers. “The capacity of women in peace building can be enhanced through their socio-economic and political empowerment,” said Dr Shaheen. This, she thought, could be brought about through their increased representation in the civil service and economic and political institutions. She called for political education of women parliamentarians to increase their role in gender-sensitive legislation in the AJK Assembly. Besides suggesting to raise awareness about women’s rights under the existing framework, she recommended increase in women’s understanding about the Kashmir conflict and their role in peace building.
