IWD Greetings from Pirbhat Women's Development Society

Greetings from Pirbhat Women’s Development Society

For years, women in Pakistan have been denied the enjoyment of a whole range of rights - economic, social, civil and political. Women are denied not only the right to education, but also the right to decide matters relating to their marriage and divorce. Those denied these rights are more likely to be deprived of the right to legal redress. Often abuses are compounded: poor girls and women are trafficked and subject to forced marriage, forced prostitution or exploitative work situations such as bonded labor. These deprivations are manifestations of discrimination against women and girls in Pakistan especially in tribal areas of Sindh.

Domestic violence and physical abuse, which includes rape, acid throwing, burning, and "honor" killings is still widespread. Acid-throwing is on the increase. "Honor" killings continue to be reported daily. Pakistan is also both a country of origin and a transit country for the trafficking of women for domestic labor, forced marriage and prostitution. The open sale of girls and women in markets is reported in underdeveloped areas. Physical abuse of women in custody continues to be rife in Pakistan.

Violence against Women in the Name of Honor, very few positive changes have taken place for women's rights and the government still by and large fails to provide adequate protection for women against abuses in the custody of the state and in the family and community. In fact, the number of victims of violence appears to have risen. There is a paucity of legal remedies for women fleeing honor killing and other domestic violence, a lack of safe houses for women, or even couples at risk, an absence of reliable mediation mechanisms to interceded with parents who do not understand or accept women's rights to freedom of choice in marriage, and an absence of reliable and prompt protection by the state. While some progress has no doubt been made in bringing the issue of violence against women into the open, much remains to be done. Women's awareness of their rights, thanks mainly to the dedicated efforts of Pakistani women's rights groups, along with women's greater participation in the workforce and resulting exposure to the human rights movement, appears to have somewhat increased.

PIRBHAT Women’s Development Society [PWDS] is a leading representative organization of Sindh, since its inception PWDS is striving for socio-economic as well as empowerment and status of Women in the family, society and on customary issues and gender based discrimination including murder in the name honor killing, selling of Women and kidnapping.

Considering the significance of the issues PWDS has planned to celebrate the “international Women Day” Saturday March 08, 2008 at 11:00am at Press Club Hyderabad.

The Theme of Program is “WE CAN: STOP THE VOILENCE AGAINST WOMEN”. Representatives of Judiciary, Lawyers, NGOs, women activists, intellectuals, scholars, politicians, and women from various parts of Sindh will participate in the Program.

It’s our privilege to invite you to participate in the program in order to share your thoughts and experiences in this context.

Regards

Rubina Chandio
Abdul Wahahb Pandhrani
Pirbhat Women Development Society
Head Office: Near Girls College, Mochi Mohallah Shahdadkot, Sindh Pakistan
Ph: +92 74 40 12 893
Liaison Office: B/18, Al Wahid Town, Qasimabad, Hyderabad, Sindh Pakistan
Ph: +92 22 29 16 422
Email: pirbhat@yahoo. com