DarkTimes - 24Hr Global News Blog

LAHORE: The participants of a seminar have called to end violence against women and urged the government and civil society cooperation to this end.

Participants of the seminar included Coordinator National MNCH Program Sabiha Khurshid, Additional Secretary (Home) Amir Khan Khattak of Home Department, Shamshad Qureshi, Program Officer UNICEF, Ayesha Qazi, Deputy Director (Coordination) of Gender Reform Action Plan GRAP.

Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator National MNCH Program Sabiha Khurshid, who was also presiding over the seminar, emphasised the need to work at the grassroots level for elimination of violence against women. She said a mother died of preventable complications during pregnancy after every 20 minutes.

Additional Secretary (Home) Amir Khan Khattak stressed on developing a plan of action for eliminating violence against women. He said women themselves would have to take the lead in making such efforts. Shamshad Qureshi, Program Officer UNICEF, on the occasion committed that he would launch an advocacy and awareness campaign on family counselling and child counselling in collaboration with GRAP.

Ayesha Qazi, Deputy Director (Coordination) of Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP), said GRAP had made the process of change towards gender sensitivity more effective. The violence against women could be ended with the cooperation of the government and civil society. Dr Aslam Bajwa, Dr Aftab Anjum, Ammar Naqvi, Umar Malik, Shazia Siraj, Syed Nasir Kazmi and Waheed Iqbal were among those who spoke on the occasion.