JAMSHORO: Speakers at a seminar have stressed importance of protecting female students from harassment and called for creating a broader space and fair treatment of women by men in society especially at their workplaces including educational institutions. They encouraged female students to move ahead freely with their academic activities without any fear at the Sindh University campus, proposing varsity administration to immediately setup ‘anti-harassment cells’ in every department and center in order to ensure protection of girl students. At the event on ‘Women Protection: Social and Legal Aspects’ organised by Institute of English Language and Literature, University of Sindh, Jamshoro in collaboration with `who he said, were found insecure even within their families for a variety of reasons. He said education, employment and empowerment were important for women. “The objectives for organizing the seminar are to assure female students that the entire administration is with them and safe as well as secure environment will be provided to them at every cost,” said VC. He announced setting up of cells in all 57 departments and centres to address issue of harassment of women on proposals given by one of speakers Asghar Soomro. These anti-harassment cells would soon come up with a gender policy, he promised, and called for cooperation of the faculty and students in further developing the alma mater. Dr Burfat observed that a particular feudalistic approach was responsible for mistreatment of women in the province, emphasizing the role of parents in bridging emotional, psychological and communication gap with their children. “This gap actually was largely responsible for major incidents involving women; the female students must share every happening with their parents, they should make their parents as the best friends”, he added. However, Dr Burfat said, female students must continue their journey in the quest of education and research at SU without any fear as being the vice chancellor, “I am here to ensure the protection of girl students on the campus. If women students undergo any problem, they should write the complaint on a piece of paper and drop it into the any of the complaint boxes installed outside Vice Chancellor’s Office and House; I will surely take action as I personally monitor these boxes on daily basis”, he maintained. AGP CTD Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said if country had poor ranking in terms of gender issues, this showed a huge disconnect between the state and its citizens. Society would also have to come forward to put things on track because the state alone could not do anything, he said, adding that human civilization had entered the era of knowledge where physical strength did not matter. He said laws on women’s rights existed and women must assert themselves. He advised female students to feel empowered and to walk around campus freely as the university administration and police are there to ensure their protection and security. “I have seen a lot of improvements and reforms introduced in a bid to ameliorate the condition of women in the country; In comparison with India and other countries, much has been done to empower women in Pakistan”, he maintained. “People must treat women like their mothers, sisters and daughters; if a person is on the right direction, no one can harm him”, he said and added that blame game culture should be brought to an end. Dr Abbasi said those candidates who succeeded in CSS examinations every year, a record 99 percent out of them belonged to rural areas of Sindh and came from downtrodden and poor families. “Those who get highest positions after becoming CSS officers, should serve the poor and needy people instead of minting money through corruption as I have observed it in my 30-year police service”, he maintained. He told a number of girl candidates applied for job in police force and all of them would be recruited as a part of empowering women in the province. The former secretary of Amnesty International Iqbal Ahmed Detho said that societies had not accepted women as human so far adding that rights of women were not being given to them. “The discrimination and prejudice continue with women on every matter in Pakistan; they are not being treated as important part of this society”, he lamented. He said inequality, disparity and injustices must be ended. Senior analyst Ghulam Nabi Morai told women students not to be afraid of anyone and not to consider them weak because they had to compete in society and lead it. He claimed as saying that before 2017, classes at SU would not take place and teachers used to be reluctant to take their classes but after appointment of Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat as head on January 19, 2017, circumstances took a new turn and classes were being run properly. Senior journalist and columnist Asghar Soomro proposed to setup anti-harassment cells in every department which should closely monitor activities of students and teachers. This will help make things better, he added. Each and every complaint if there was any should be investigated properly, he said. These cells should also be empowered to handle cases of other kind of violence, he suggested. ASP City Hyderabad Zahida Parveen emphasized that students and research fellows were protected against sexual harassment under the law. She underlined that legislation was there which not only covered employees in a workplace, but also students who worked under a faculty who could, with his or her authority, exercised influence on students or research fellows that could be detrimental to their academic progress. She called upon students to avail services of police. “I am here to protect you. If female students have any complaint from someone, they should directly contact me”, she said. The Director of IELL Dr Rafique Memon said that atmosphere on SU campus was friendly for female students but if they still feel unprotected, must come to him, he will always be there to help them out. Published in Daily Times, August 25th 2017.