Summary of Achievements in 2012

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2012

Under the ‘Women’s Human Rights and Governance’ Programme

  • THREE PROVINCIAL/LOCAL POLICY FRAMEWORKS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT LAUNCHED — UN Women’s technical expertise and advocacy resulted in the formulation and passage of (i) Punjab’s Women’s Empowerment Package; (ii) A State Policy Framework for Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK) and (iii) Balochistan’s Policy Framework on gender equality and women’s empowerment
  • SEVEN PROVINCIAL WOMEN MACHINERIES CREATED/STRENGTHENED — UN Women supported the creation and strengthening of provincial women machineries as governance structures to lead and implement the gender perspective in policies and plans: (i) Establishment of a State Commission on the Status of Women and a Women’s Parliamentarian Caucus in Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PAK); (ii) Bifurcation of the Women’s Development Department from the Department of Social Welfare, PAK (iii) A Women’s Empowerment Committee was established in PAK’s Legislative Assembly; (iv) Establishment of a Women’s Development Department in Punjab; (v) Strengthening of the provincial Women’s Parliamentarian Caucus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the Provincial Assembly, and (vi) Strengthening of the Ministry of Human Rights and its provincial Departments
  • NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN BILL PASSED — UN Women, in strengthening the National Commission since 2009 through a technical advisory role had been instrumental in the Commissions recognition as a new Entity and passing of the National Commission on the Status of Women Bill (on 19 January 2012) to protect women’s rights against every kind of discrimination. This milestone result has provided the Commission with an independent autonomous status having full financial and administrative powers to examine policies, programmes and other measures taken by the Government for women’s welfare and gender equality
  • CNIC REGISTRATION DRIVE CAMPAIGN ROLLED OUT — 4,000 women were issued with Computerized National ID Cards (CNICs) and registered as voters (as of September 2012) through a focused model intervention between UN Women and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). UN Women’s support to NADRA’s CNIC registration drive focused on women from the rural areas of five ‘low women CNIC registration’ districts of Balochistan (as identified following the 2008 General Elections). With a projected number of 127,139 unregistered women in these rural areas, against an initial target of 10,000 registered women by end-November, 4,000 women had successfully been issued with CNICs and registered as voters (figures available to September 2012)
  • WOMEN’S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT AS VOTERS INCREASED — Nationally, NADRA’s registration drive, has resulted in over 86 per cent of the female population registered with NADRA as compared to 44 per cent four years ago (source: 2008 General Elections). As of August 2012, NADRA had issued approximately 92 million CNICs of which 40 million were issued to women and 52 million to men. Additionally, UN Women’s partnership and lobbying with NADRA on reaching out to unregistered women voters facilitated NADRA to expand their national infrastructure by 83 per cent with the inclusion of Mobile Registration Vans and Semi-Mobile Registration Units facilitating unregistered women in remote areas to register and be issued with a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC). NADRA also declared Fridays as exclusive female registration days and established 11 functional women-only NADRA centres with female-only staff
  • CIVIL SOCIETY ADVISORY GROUP ESTABLISHED — In recognizing the vital role that civil society plays in promoting women’s rights, equality and their empowerment, UN Women established a Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) in Pakistan

Under the ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment’ Programme

  • PUNJAB’S PROVINCIAL WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PACKAGE LAUNCHED — UN Women’s support to provincial governments to enact laws and policies resulted in launch of the Women’s Empowerment Package for Punjab and includes adoption of the Home-Based Worker Policy
  • PROVINCIAL MECHANISMS TO SUPPORT WOMEN HBW’S ESTABLISHED AND INSTITUTIONALIZED — UN Women contributed through technical expertise towards the institutionalization of two provincial mechanisms to facilitate adoption of the HBW Policy by the Provincial Cabinets following devolution of the Ministry of Labour to the provincial governments: (i) a HBW Task Force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (April 2012) and (ii) a HBW Provincial Work Council Sindh (May 2012) With representation from a number of departments (including Labour, Women’s Development, and Social Welfare), key civil society groups (in particular HomeNet Pakistan, a strategic partner supported by UN Women) and UN partners, these provincial mechanisms are supported by the HBW Working Group at the national level (established with UN Women’s support in 2008) and Provincial Working Groups (formed by HomeNet Pakistan) to maintain the momentum on policy making after devolution of labor functions
  • HBW ISSUES INCORPORATED INTO A MANIFESTO OF PAKISTAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS — “Saada Huqq - Manshoor wich Rakh” meaning ‘put our rights in the manifestos’ was the demand of over 1,000 rural women at the 5th Annual Conference on International Rural Women’s Day held in October 2012 with support from UN Women. With rural women from over 85 districts of Pakistan gathered together on one platform they chanted the slogan “Saada Huqq - Manshoor wich Rakh” and raised their voices on issues related to their political and economic rights and resulted in a Manifesto of Pakistan Women’s Rights being jointly prepared during the 2-day event for consideration by the leading political parties and stakeholders to commit to focusing and addressing the needs of the rural Pakistani woman. The Manifesto of Pakistan Women’s Rights addresses the social, economic and political rights of rural women and presents key points to the political parties for incorporation into their party manifestos and for appropriate actions towards fulfilling their basic human rights

Under the ‘Ending Violence Against Women’ Programme

  • DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BILL (ICT) PASSED — UN Women’s technical expertise and advocacy for protective and pro-women laws resulted in the Senate unanimously passing the Domestic Violence Bill applicable in the Islamabad Capital Territory, on 20 February 2012. Besides children and women, the Bill provides protection to the adopted, employed and domestic associates in a household
  • EVAW ALLIANCE (BALOCHISTAN) ESTABLISHED — In strengthening provincial platforms and alliances to respond to VAWG an EVAWG Alliance was established in the province of Balochistan
  • PROVINCIAL CAPACITIES TO IMPLEMENT ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT LEGISLATION ENHANCED — Provincial Anti-Sexual Harassment Implementation Watch Committees established with appointment of an Ombudsperson announced in Punjab (March 2012) and Sindh (July 2012). Awareness raising sessions were imparted to government officials to effectively implement the Watch Committees
  • CONCLUSION OF THE ‘ONE MILLION SIGNATURE’ CAMPAIGN — The high profile nationwide One Million Signatures Campaign “Million Names Million Voices – Break the Silence to End Violence Against Women and Girls” concluded on Friday 27 July 2012 with the signature of its one millionth supporter – the President of Pakistan. Pakistanis from all walks of life, including celebrities and politicians, have publicly signed ‘Take Action’ cards while Charters of Demand have been gathered from 57 districts focusing on reforming laws, policies and services to better serve women
  • ANTI-SEXUAL HARASSMENT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED — Provincial and local level media-based advocacy campaigns to address issues related to anti-sexual harassment appeared in major airports and newspapers, with key messages emphasized through talk shows and radio
  • STOP CRIMES OF ACID VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED — UN Women with Acid Survivors Foundation and UK Aid raised awareness through knowledge products and posters, and mobilized parliamentarians and policy-makers to stop crimes of acid violence against women and girls and spur legislative change. 537 stakeholders accepted that change is required and consequently pledged their support to advocate and promote a comprehensive bill on Acid and Burn Crime
  • ‘TASHADUD NA MANZUR’ (VIOLENCE IS UNACCEPTABLE) LAUNCHED — In commemoration of 16 Days of Activism 2012 in Pakistan, a civil society-based initiative for awareness raising and actions towards EVAWG, the ‘Tashadud Na Manzur’ campaign was launched, supported by UN Women

Under the ‘Women and Peace’ Programme

  • UN WOMEN PAKISTAN DEVELOPS ITS FIRST HUMANITARIAN STRATEGY - Developed in July 2012 this Humanitarian Strategy documents the work done over the past four years by UN Women in Pakistan and sets the priority for UN Women’s future interventions around humanitarian response
  • PARTICIPATION, PREVENTION, PROTECTION AND PROVISION FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND THE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION POLICY PREPARED — In coordination and collaboration with the Disaster Management Authorities at the national, provincial and district levels, UN Women was instrumental in the consultative review and preparation of the Participation, Prevention, Protection and Provision (PPPP) Framework for Action on Disaster Management and the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Policy. Extensive involvement of the Disaster Management Authorities and key stakeholders has resulted in deeper commitment to the principles and integration of gender equality to advance women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction and management. (The PPPP Framework for Action and the DRR Policy are pre-cursors towards adoption of a ‘Gender Policy’ by NDMA)
  • WOMEN DESK ESTABLISHED IN FATA — The Disaster Management Authority of the FATA (FDMA) established a ‘Women Desk’ following the model supported by UN Women within the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in further strengthening FDMA within the FATA Secretariat (this follows establishment and strengthening of a Women’s Empowerment Wing within the FATA Secretariat in November 2011)
  • ESTABLISHMENT OF PROTECTION SPACES/CENTRES FOR WOMEN — Includes, 19 Women Friendly Spaces (in KP/FATA), and 3 Women’s Facilitation Centres and 2 Women’s Protection Centres (in KP) (2010-2012)
  • CHARTER OF RIGHTS FOR WOMEN IN DISASTER SITUATIONS IN PAKISTAN DEVELOPED — This was developed with focus on rural women and sustainable livelihoods in collaboration with the National Commission on the Status of Women and supported by UN Women
  • ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL GROUP ON GENDER EQUALITY IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY — This group was formed to provide support to NDMA at policy level for the implementation of gender mainstreaming within the whole spectrum of disaster in Pakistan
  • LAUNCH OF AN INTER-PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENTARIAN ALLIANCE ON PEACE — UN Women in advancing the Peace agenda brought together Parliamentarians from across the political party lines to commit to strengthening political parties’ role in the Peace agenda where a ‘Peace Declaration’ was passed. The launch of an Inter-Provincial Parliamentarian Alliance on Peace builds on the recommendations of the National Convention of Women Parliamentarians held May 2010 as well as the recommendations of the National Parliamentarian Forum held September 2011
  • GUIDELINES FOR ‘WOMEN FRIENDLY SPACES’ DEVELOPED — A handbook titled ‘Field Guidelines for Women Friendly Spaces’ (WFS) guides UN partners, I/NGOs, humanitarian actors and implementing partners in the rapid implementation of effective WFS during and immediately after an emergency such as a natural disaster or during complex emergencies. These guidelines developed by the Country Office followed a Resolution passed during the 56th Session of the Commission on Status of Women on women’s empowerment during natural disasters. WFS’s has been one of UN Women Pakistan’s successfully piloted emergency intervention at the grass root level since 2010, and continues to provide women and girls with a protected environment in which they participate in organized activities to learn vocational skills, socialize, and express themselves as they rebuild their lives. Ownership of these model WFS in KP and FATA has been requested by KP PDMA