CONFERENCE ON LEGISLATION AND POLICIES AFFECTING WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: BRINGING POLICY MAKERS AND CIVIL SOCIETY TOGETHER
Margalla Hotel Islamabad - June 30th 2010

The Rural Support Programmes Network held a Conference on the Legislative and Policy ‘environment’ which discussed women’s rights and entitlements in Pakistan. The purpose for this Conference was to engender a dialogue between the Ministries responsible for creating and implementing women-focused legislation and policies, and civil society, including the Rural Support Programmes and RSPN. Chief speakers on the occasion were Ms. Yasmeen Rehman, MNA and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Women’s Development, Dr. Donya Aziz MNA and member of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Ms. Shandana Khan, CEO RSPN & Mr. Shoaib Sultan Khan, Chairman RSPN. 

The significant decisions arising from the Conference focussed on the fact that RSPN and the RSPs should work closely with the government to ensure that policy makers and grassroots communities create and maintain improved methods of communication on issues pertaining to the situation of women everywhere in the country. Dr. Donya Aziz MNA and member of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, requested the grassroots communities to inform the government, through the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, about the campaigns they are mounting and the obstacles they encounter in their attempts to implement policy. She encouraged RSPN and the RSPs to consider (i) the changes they would like to see (ii) how the Caucus can help in the implementation processes at the grassroots and regional levels, and (iii) how to increase information sharing with civil servants.  

Following the keynote address by Ms. Yasmeen Rehman, MNA, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Women’s Development, it was decided that ways and means of creating linkages between NGOs, the private sector and the Government, would be developed and strengthened. This will contribute to ensuring that development programmes for women are both achievable and sustainable in the long term. RSPN and the RSPs can develop systematic ways of providing input and feedback to the Government, including input in developing policies. The Advisor offered the Ministry of Women’s Development as a platform from which to create co-ordination and communication between the government and those CSOs that are working on women’s issues. She urged RSPN to take the lead in this initiative with the Ministry. Shoaib Sultan Khan also stressed the need for RSPN and the RSPs to take the lead in creating linkages between the government and CSOs.   

These decisions were supported by suggestions from panelists: for example, a cohesive alliance between government officials, AASHA members, and international organisations was required in order to pass legislation protecting women against sexual harassment in the workplace. Another panelist noted that ‘to ensure the passage of gender reforms, the State and institutions need to enhance their capabilities, fill institutional gaps, and be more responsive to women’s issues.” Another commented that knowledge about rights of all kinds, including those enshrined in the law, needs to be disseminated to community members, the police and lawyers. 

The RSPs will now develop their own understanding of national policies and a systematic means of disseminating information on those policies to COs, VDOs and LSOs. The RSPs can contribute to this by making available translations in simple Urdu and other languages.