Daily Times

Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari highlighted the achievements of women and girls in China and Pakistan in an online high level Women’s Forum marking 70 years of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations.

The forum was organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing in collaboration with the All China Women Association and All Pakistan Women Association, with a special emphasis on women’s rights, poverty alleviation and the role of women in post-COVID recovery.

The Minister stressed the importance of China and Pakistan’s strategic partnership, and the opportunities which CPEC will continue to create in Pakistan.

She said “we hope to see women being included in the vocational and technical training being conducted under this vital strategic partnership”, adding that “CPEC will be a game changer for the ordinary citizens in both countries”.

In the context of COVID-19, she highlighted the measures taken by the present government to ensure the protection of women and girls during lockdown, especially since “pandemics exacerbate existing gender inequalities”.

In order to register human rights violations and complaints during the ongoing pandemic, the Ministry utilized it’s national Helpline 1099 as well as the Helpline 1099 App. A secret code has been embedded in MOHR 1099 helpline for female victims of domestic violence who are unable to speak in the presence of their abusers.

The Minister also emphasized that the Government of Pakistan has taken critical steps towards strengthening legislation regarding violence against women, harrassment, rape, and discrimination.

Recently, the Ministry of Human Rights reached an important milestone by getting the Domestic Violence Bill 2020 passed by the National Assembly of the Parliament in order to establish an effective system of protection, relief and rehabilitation of women, elders and any vulnerable person against domestic violence. During the pandemic, the Ministry of Human Rights also published a report on the impact of COVID-19 and disaster vulnerability in Pakistan.

The research was carried out with the objective to improve understanding of the multifaceted impacts of Covid-19 on the lives and livelihoods of Pakistanis, and facilitating a people-centred approach to the pandemic.

The Minister said that this “analysis can serve to guide the State’s strategic, operational and policy endeavours to combat the COVID 19 crisis in a more holistic manner.”

In the end, the Minister hoped to strengthen our relationship with China, in order to create opportunities for ordinary citizens, and share our common experiences so that we may “forge further ahead to empower women”.

The aim of the forum was to foster institutional linkages between leading representative organisations for women of the two countries.