PAKISTAN'S WOMEN'S MOVEMENT GAINS GROUND
A year of new legislation and interventions dedicated to women's rights
The women's movement here emerged in the 1980s; today, the recently approved Sexual Harassment Act, a significant piece of legislation that protects against workplace sexual harassment; restoration of women's assembly seats; and inclusion of gender issues in the manifestos of all political parties are concrete wins. But Pakistan's women still face disparities and violence; and literacy rates for women remain among the world's lowest. We, in the Gender Equity Program (GEP) , are supporting local organizations to deftly tackle deep-rooted gender inequalities and bring women's rights center stage. Right now, our staff is working side by side with Aurat Foundation, one of Pakistan's leading women's rights organizations, in nearly every district in the country to mobilize, empower, and protect women; our efforts with Aurat Foundation have impacted more than 1.1 million women, from legal aid to start-up capital. In 2011, GEP formed the National Advisory Forum, the only national committee where all provincial ministers working on women's rights come together to shape policy on gender and create ownership within civil society to make headway on gender issues. We hope that this platform, coupled with our on-the-ground initiatives, will create a powerful opening for positive change in women's empowerment.
— AMENA RAJA & NADIA TARIQ ALI
Senior Program Officers, Gender Equity Program, Islamabad