LAHORE: Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) Director General Salman Sufi was honoured with the Vital Voices Solidarity Award in recognition of his efforts under the Punjab chief minister’s leadership for eliminating violence against women in Pakistan.
In advance of International Human Rights Day, this year’s annual Vital Voices of Solidarity Award was held on December 4 at IAC HQ, New York. The event was attended by individuals, corporations and advocates from around the world all united in their aim to eliminate violence against women.
SRU DG was honoured along with Ronan Farrow, an investigative journalist, Jackson Katz an educator, filmmaker and author Chirs Nasseta, President and CEO of Hilton and David Schwimmer, a renowned actor and director. The event was hosted by prominent personalities including Daine Von Furstenberg, Barry Diller, Alexi Ashe Meyer, Seth Meyers, Marlene and Fred Malek along with Donna and Mack McLarty.
Vital Voices is a leading non-governmental organisation founded by Hillary Clinton in 1997 to invest in women to improve the world. Each year, Vital Voices honours remarkable men who have shown courage and compassion in advocating on behalf of women and girls.
In 2014, former US vice president Joe Biden was among the honorees. Past recipients also include United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra’ad al Hussein and John Prendergast, a human rights activist and former director for African affairs at the National Security Council.
The Voice of Solidarity Award proves the efforts of Punjab government and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to tackle gender-based violence in the province are now being recognised on a global scale. Previously, and current office-bearers have not introduced the policy on gender as their foremost mandate, unlike the Punjab chief minister.
In the 16 days of gender activism, where recent reports have ascertained Pakistan to be one of worst in the world for women to live in, the chief minister’s efforts are allowing the country to be considered in an alternate and positive light from the global perspective.
