A three day long training workshop on promoting human rights and gender equality in society organised by the Women’s Organisation for Rights and Development (WORD), CAVISH and Bedari concluded on Tuesday.
The workshop was part of WORD’s program on gender and human rights education.
Executive director WORD said, “The training aims at encouraging positive initiatives for social justice, human rights and gender equality in Pakistan.”
Democracy Reporting International’s Madiha Farhan led the discussion on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the elections, focusing on violations of election related treaty obligations in the polling process.
She said that according to the findings, the National Assembly still has to attain the Beijing target of 30 percent women parliamentarians.
She said, “Women contesting and winning elections is necessary but insufficient, they must also occupy leadership positions with more decision making power in the public offices.”
This was something to look forward to as an outcome of the 2013 elections and the new government’s formation, she remarked.
WORD Coordinator Anum Zuberi led the discussion on socially defined gender roles that were often discriminatory and anti-feminist, portraying women as the weaker sex based on outdated norms.
The workshop explicated and stressed a human rights approach to development in addition to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights System and the International Instruments that Pakistan had signed and ratified.
The participants discussed gender issues in society and the social, economic, political and personal rights which are integral to gender equality and individual empowerment.
The participants completed exercises and assignments on the application of human rights and gender equality based perspectives.
Representatives of various civil society organizations, human rights activists and media persons attended the workshop.