ISLAMABAD: A nationwide men’s movement for ending violence against women was launched on Friday to mark 16 days of activism.

Thousands of men and boys from over 70 districts across the country will be mobilised by the White Ribbon Pakistan in collaboration with UN Women Pakistan, the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) and the Ministry of Human Rights.

According to the White Ribbon, men from all provinces and regions gathered outside local press clubs to vow to “leave no woman or girl behind” by prioritising their dignity and calling for their protection against violence. The launching ceremony of the campaign was held in Serena Hotel Islamabad.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is marked on Nov 25 every year. The day also marks the start of the ‘16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence’ lasting until Dec 10, the Human Rights Day.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Farhatullah Babar said intolerance and violence was increasing day by day in Pakistan.

“Lack of access to justice, broken criminal justice system, jirgas that exclude and degrade women and misapplication of Qisas laws have further compounded violence against women,” he said.

He said pardon can be granted under the Qisas law but only after conviction and it was a misinterpretation of the law by accepting pardons even before conviction.

He suggested developing a national register to catalog crimes against women and called it ‘National register of embarrassment’.

The senator emphasised appointing special public prosecutors for crimes against women and increasing the participation of women in local governments.

Omer Aftab, the CEO of White Ribbon, said violence against women was a global phenomenon affecting one in three women, and Pakistan was no exception.

NCSW Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz said: “The NCSW has planned a national survey to monitor prevalence of violence which will serve as a baseline to check further progress.”

Secretary Ministry of Human Rights Rabiya Javeri Agha said: “Despite many government initiatives, forces of patriarchy continue to hamper women’s inclusive and sustainable growth.”

Sangeeta Thapa, the deputy representative of the UN Women Pakistan, read out UN Secretary General António Guterres’ message for the day.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2017