LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
A spokesperson of the Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) of Chief Minister (CM)’s Office said on Sunday that recognizing that violence against women was rampant in Punjab and that conviction of such crimes was abysmally low, SMU, on directive of the Punjab CM was in the process of establishing Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) across Punjab.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan would be the first country in the region to launch such an initiative.
He said that VAWCs would be the first line of defense for victims and would ensure access to justice by converging all relevant services under one roof including first aid, police reporting, FIR lodging, medical examination, collection of forensic and other evidence, psychologist evaluation, prosecution as well as post-trauma rehabilitation. VAWCs would be integrated with shelter homes and would assist in victim’s placement back into the society. A pilot VAWC is being established in Multan district.
The spokesperson said that VAWC would be 24 hour, all-women run facilities that would provide immediate relief and protection to women with zero interference from outside (no incoming calls).
He said that case flow process would be streamlined with real-time data integration between all the relevant departments- a specifically designed real time, key stroke monitoring software would connect all the justice delivery departments; evidence would be collected within 24 hours of the assault and thus, prosecution will be strengthened; post-trauma rehabilitation, with the help of a VAW-specific trained psychologist, would also take place at VAWC. He said that affiliations with various organizations would be made to assist victims’ placement back into the society. Victims would be placed in shelter homes post-investigation, audio-visual recording of all actions would be done. Helpline and transport to facilitate the victims would also be provided.
VAWC will act as a mediation centre for non-cognizable offenses. VAWC will also collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) on facilitation centre at VAWC to assist women on any government-related query.