Pakistan needs change in public mindset to avert women harassment.

KARACHI -- Pakistan one of the most legislated countries with scores of regulatory bodies for protection of women rights, including their safety against the menace of harassment, is in dire need to modify public mindset about the issue. Speakers in an awareness seminar organized by Sindh Ombudsman Office for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace here on Monday also referred to financial constraints faced by implementing as well as regulatory bodies assigned with the responsibility to turn relevant law truly meaningful for the victims. Representing judiciary, police department, provincial commission on status of women, women welfare department, academia, NGOs and so-forth speakers also took strong exception to the steps taken for capacity building of personnel expected to deliver.

Though reluctant to admit that there was lack of needed political will towards the subject they but identified series of lacunae that otherwise could efficiently help mend human power deficiencies consequently leading to better understanding and appropriate choices in application of the scanty resources at their disposal.

The event organized to mark National Working Women Day 2019 was addressed by Chairperson, Sindh Commission on Women Status, Nuzhat Shirin, Prof. Dr. Human Baqai, SP Shahla Qureishi, Marvi Awan (Coordinator, Women Protection Center), Naheed Ansari (Motivator), Ms. Muntaha (Self Defence Trainer), Shoaib Ashraf (Supreme Court Lawyer), Mohammad Ali Siddiqui (former diplomat) and others. SCSW Chief, Nuzhat Shrin particularly emphasized the importance of strengthening of institutions adding that concerned bodies also must work in coordination to help achieve the objective of an equitable society.

With regard to limitation in terms of funding further aggravated due to shortcomings registered in capabilities of human resource, she particularly highlighted inadequacies in the police departments where personnel instead of helping the victims try to coerce them under one or the other pretext. Lack of findings affecting measures to provide needed shelter and support to victims of abuse/harassment was also mentioned on the occasion.

Dr. Huma Baqai linked the issue of women harassment with the concept of power whereby a sizable number of male members of the society try to assert their authority at the cost of social and economic well...