PGF-News::Newsletter.::The Researchers::.

I Women & Politics

1. Sonia Most Popular Politician in India

According to a published opinion poll, Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born Chief of India’s ruling Congress party, is the country’s favourite politician. The poll, carried by the Hindustan Times newspaper, also found that most Indians think Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – ushered into office after Gandhi turned down the job in 2004 – is doing a good job.

Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee of the Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) fell behind Gandhi, who turned 60 last month, in the popularity stakes, with 18.5 percent of votes against 28.3 percent for the Congress leader. Opinion polls in the past had put Gandhi behind Vajpayee, credited with bringing India out of the nuclear closet in 1998.

The New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies interviewed 15,373 randomly selected people from 19 of India’s 29 states for the study, commissioned by the Hindustan Times and CNN-IBN news channel. The poll was published ahead of important state polls next month. It found the Congress party ahead in the northern states of Punjab and Uttarakhand.

2. Women Representation in US Congress

The United States Congress has broken a new record. On 4 January, it swore in the largest number of women ever to serve as the lawmakers in the country. In addition a woman will become the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives. Now commentators are wondering whether 2007 could be the year of the woman in politics. The surge in female representation came in the mid-term Congressional election in November. It was a historic victory for the Democrats and also for the women.

There were more than 140 female candidates and an unprecedented number of women elected, bringing the total to 86.

Ms. Nancy Pelosi will be the first leader of the House to be addressed as “Madam Speaker”. Pelosi has vowed to restore civility and ethics in government saying: “It takes a woman to clean house” – a reference to the corruption seen as widespread in Congress. She has also promised to work in a more bipartisan, cooperative way, contrasting her approach to the last decade that Congress had been under Republican and male control. It is also possible that more issues of importance to women will get more attention. So, for instance, Ms. Pelosi has said that her in first 100 hours as Speaker she will push for an increase in the minimum wage – a move that will have major repercussions for women who represent the majority of low-paid workers. The trend towards women is evident not only in Washington, across the country, a record 2,433 women ran for state office and the number of female state governors are up to a high of nine.

II Women & HR

1. AGHS Report: Violence against Women Continues

An AGHS Legal Aid Cell’ report has revealed that violence against women is increasing rapidly and there is no legislation to address the issue. The report said that women are committing suicide in larger numbers and are being abducted, burned, killed for honour, murdered, raped, falling prey to panchayats (tribal councils) and tortured.

It stated that from July 2005 to June 2006, out of about 216 abduction cases in the Punjab, 90 cases were reported in the city ( Lahore) alone. Out of 68 burn cases 31 were reported in the city, out of 102 honour killings 16 were reported in the city, out of 136 murders 36 were reported in the city, out of 272 rapes 77 were reported in the city, out of 14 suicides seven were reported in the city and out of 77 cases of domestic violence 28 were reported in the city.

Shah Taj Qizilbash, the convener of the Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights said that there is an urgent need to start an awareness campaign to change people’s mindsets. He also suggested introducing legislation to protect women from being exploited. Cases of women trafficking and other violations remain undisclosed. Incidents of women and minor girls being victimised within the family or a home are often tolerated. A number of cases in which women are burned do not seem accidental because, owing to the fear of their husbands or in-laws, most women do not disclose the fact that they have been deliberately burned, he said, adding, “Even the victims’ families remain silent, thinking a word against their daughters’ in-laws could result in their (their daughters’) children being taken away.”

2. Stressed Men Beat Wives in Afghan Refugee Camps

The article, ‘Intimate partner violence among Afghan women living in refugee camps in Pakistan’ by Adnan A. Hyder, Zarin Noor and Emma Tsui of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Center for Injury Research & Policy, and Drexel University College of Medicine, is in the press with the Social Science and Medicine journal. The Pakistan Daily Times produces an abridged version:

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 women of reproductive age and 20 health workers serving these women in an Afghan refugee camp near Peshawar, during the summer of 2004. Stories of violence against Afghan women have been ubiquitous in international news media for almost a decade now. In March 2004, the New York Times ran an article entitled ‘’For More Afghan Women, Immolation Is Escape’’ prompted by the Afghan Human Rights Commission’s discovery of 40 cases of self-immolation over six months in the Herat region. According to one survey by the International Rescue Committee of 200 women in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan, and cited in a report by the Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium, 79% of the women reported having been beaten by their husbands. The report also revealed that participants believed that younger brides were more likely to suffer abuse. In most refugee camps, there is no effective reporting system, and there is still uncertainty about how to respond to such reports from victims. In refugee settings, women often do not know where to turn if they need help and are unfamiliar with the host country’s laws regarding domestic violence. Unfortunately for Afghan women refugees, the Pakistani legal procedures regarding domestic violence make it difficult for victims to seek justice.

The in-laws seemed to use the topics of dowry and brideprice against the bride during conflicts, especially for women whose marriages did not involve a significant exchange of money or other resources. In some cases where there are insufficient funds to pay dowry (or brideprice), siblings or other family members may be exchanged for marriage with another family. These ‘’exchange marriages’’ were frequently mentioned in conjunction with reciprocal violence-that is, when one daughter-in-law is beaten, the daughter-in-law in the other family may also be beaten as a consequence.

Detailed write-up is available on Daily Times dated January 30, 2007

III Women & Laws

1. New Draft of Pro-Women Bill Submitted in National Assembly

Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain submitted a new bill to the National Assembly secretariat seeking an end to anti-women practices. The bill includes amendments to tan earlier bill Shujaat submitted to the NA secretariat last month. It will be presented in the National Assembly on February 6 as a private member's bill.

The bill seeks to ensure women's right of inheritance, prohibit marriage with the Quran, allow dissolution of a marriage in the absence of the husband during the procedure of lian, make admissions of zina liable to prosecution, prohibit forced marriages, prohibit the traditions of badal-e-sulh and vanni or sawara, and restrict provincial governments from interfering in sentences awarded for zina.

The new bill, drafted after Shujaat's meetings with religious scholars who object to the Women's Protection Act, seeks to remove these scholars' concerns about the act. The bill would add a new chapter (XXA) to the Pakistan Penal Code. Under Section 498A, depriving a woman of her inheritance would be punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years or with a fine or both.

IV Women & Economics

1. Afghan Women Get Chance to Step into Commerce

In a conservative society where men have traditionally run all trade, the stalls are raising lots of eyebrows, some opposition and much approval. The women’s department has so far set up three women with stalls that sell handicrafts, clothes and cosmetics. It plans to open another 20 and rent them out to women in the next few weeks.

According to these women, men and women have same rights. Women can also deal with people in the city. As we are also a part of this society and can do what men can do.

Mazar-i-Sharif, like all of Afghanistan, is a conservative place although its residents, mostly hailing from northern ethnic minorities, always rejected the puritanical Taliban. More than five years after the fall of the Taliban, many women still wear the all-enveloping burqa when venturing outside and few interact on a professional basis with men. Those people who opposed women’s involvement in trade regarded it against Islam and culture.

While those who are approve it, argue that even during the time of the Prophet Mohammad, women used to be involved in business ... women can sell stuff to people if they observe Islamic rules.

Maybe 10 percent of people don’t agree with women being shop-keepers but the rest, 90 percent, welcomed it.

V Gender Gap in Pakistan among Top 10 Issues of South Asia

According to latest World Bank report, "Bridging the Gender Gap in Pakistan: Opportunities and Challenges" is among the top 10 popular issues in South Asia. The Bank's Country Gender Assessment found overall concern about the security and reputation was restricting to the women's movement outside the home and limiting their access to education, medical-care, opportunities for paid work, voting and other forms of political and community participation.

VI International Feminist Dialogue at World Social Forum (WSF)

The International Feminist Dialogue was held prior to the WSF from 17th to 19th January 2007 under the theme “Transforming Democracy: Feminist Visions and Strategies”. Over 250 women from different parts of the World attended to deepen the intensive dialogues on feminist perspectives and strategies in addressing fundamentalisms, militarism and neo-liberal globalisation. In organizing the third International Feminist Dialogues, the Coordinating Group (CG) created a vital space for critical minded feminist activists to re-examine, re-imagine and move forward the vital political project of feminist movement building and new forms of democratic processes.

History of Feminist Dialogue

Feminist Dialogues (FD) is a transnational meeting of feminist networks and organizations usually held before the WSF and is one such space for this kind of strategic debate. Organized by seven international feminist networks and organizations, the Feminist Dialogue aim to bring together different feminist perspectives on issues of concern for women’s movements, to focus on critical analyses and diverse feminist strategies. They seek to emphasize the multiplicity of strategies that women’s movements have employed in their everyday political practice.

In having the meeting before the WSF, they hope to achieve a two-way political exchange: firstly, to effectively intervene in the broader WSF process as feminists organizing for change, and to establish strategic and politically relevant links with other social movements. As a site of resistance, the WSF is one of the most dynamic spaces available to feminist activists and it is important to participate in it while at the same time retaining their autonomy within the FD. It is also hopeful that the idea of the FD can be used to encourage various regional level meetings or to participate in the different forums they are engaged in as part of their ongoing work of linking up with other movements.

VII Books/Articles/Reports on Gender

Gender and Energy for Sustainable Development: A Toolkit and Resource Guide (2004)

Summary: This toolkit and resource guide outlines the linkages between gender and energy in the context of sustainable development. It provides suggestions and resources for addressing energy poverty by integrating gender and energy sensitivity into development programmes, projects, and policies. It also includes multiple case studies and a list of online resources.

Online access: http://www.undp.org/energy/genenergykit/genderengtoolkit.pdf

I Research Report on Death Penalty by HRCP and FIDH

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) jointly prepared the research report, and released it on January 26. According to report:

Pakistan ranks among countries in the world that issue death sentences the most
Currently, over 7,400 prisoners are on death row in different jails. ‘Slow March to the Gallows’, based on a study on capital punishment in Pakistan
An average of 47 executions a year took place in Pakistan between 1975 and 2002, but this figure was 66 in 2005 and 54 in the first six months of 2006
Thirty people were executed between June and July 2006
The application of death penalty in Pakistan is not in accordance with international standards
Defects in the law itself, in the administration of justice and in police, the chronic corruption in society and the cultural prejudice affecting women and minorities are linked with the rise in capital punishment in Pakistan
Our criminal justice system is flawed and police are corrupt. In these conditions, a fair trial is unfeasible and the award of death punishment will be equal to intentional murder on the part of the state
At every step, from arrest to trial to execution, there are no safeguards against miscarriage of justice, and there is a frighteningly high possibility that innocent people are being executed
The report rejected death penalty as deterrence against crimes and demanded its gradual repeal from the statute
The report urged the president to systematically commute the death sentence to relatively mild sentences. It also asked the government to ratify international protocols with the aim to abolish the death penalty

Christine Habbard, a researcher at FIDH, said that death penalty has failed to work as deterrence for crime in the discriminatory, unjust and criminal justice system in Pakistan. A comparison shows that the crime rate is much lower in states where the death penalty does not exist.

HRCP Director I A Rehman said that a death penalty is only handed out for murder and mutiny at the time of Partition, but now 27 offences carried the death sentence. In our country, either coercive measures are adopted or money is used to persuade the aggrieved party to pardon a murderer.

Rights organizations have demanded that executions of convicts be immediately suspended, saying innocent people are being sent to the gallows in Pakistan – which is among nations with a high death conviction rate – because of a “flawed and discriminatory criminal justice system.

II Human Rights Abuse Cases in 5 Years

Federal Law and Human Rights Minister Syed Wasi Zafar placed statistics regarding human rights violations before Senate Secretariat. Following table shows Human Rights abuse cases in different provinces within the time period of 2002 to September 2006 as indicated by Federal Law and Human Rights Minister:

Province	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006 (Jan to Sep)	Total
Sindh	218	243	229	291	274	1,255
Punjab	138	197	177	225	251	988
NWFP	37	67	40	65	53	262
Balochistan	8	2	25	68	51	154
Islamabad	6	15	2	30	10	63
Total	407	524	473	679	639	2,722

III Ordinances Galore in 2006

President General Pervez Musharraf promulgated 32 ordinances in the last parliamentary year of the National Assembly (NA), which enacted only four ordinances, including the Women Protection Act.

Overall, the President has promulgated ordinances two times more than the number of legislative bills introduced in the National Assembly so far. By the end of the fourth parliamentary year on November 14, 2006, a total of 134 ordinances were introduced, 58 of them have been laid in the National Assembly. That only 76 legislative bills were laid in the NA shows that the government mainly relied on issuing ordinances instead of adopting proper parliamentary legislative process. The assembly passed 35 bills, three were withdrawn while 19 were pending with the NA when its 37th session concluded on November 14.

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and its allies were quick to rush the WPB through the parliament in less than two months but the fate of the 19 bills, which have been in the pipeline, is to gather dust.

The bills lying pending in the National Assembly include: The Pakistan Council for Science and Technology Bill, 2005; Defence Housing Authority Islamabad Bill, 2005; National Development Finance Corporation (Repeal) Bill, 2005; The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2005; Alternative Energy Development Board Bill, 2005; Tibbe-e-Unani, Ayuvadic, Homeopathic, Herbal and Non-Allopathic Medicine Bill, 2005; Industrial Development Bank of Pakistan (Reorganization and Conversion) Bill, 2005; Public Complaints (Removal of Grievances) Bill, 2005; Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 2005; Pakistan Tobacco Board (Amendment) Bill, 2005; Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Bill, 2005; Federal Public Service Commission Bill, 2005; Labour Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2005; Intellectural Property Organization of Pakistan Bill, 2005; Law Reform Bill, 2005; Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Authority Bill, 2006; National Database and Registration Authority Bill (Amendment), 2005; National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2005 and The Companies (Appointment of Legal Advisory) (Amendment) Bill, 2005. The NA has passed over 42 bills and ordinances during its 37 sessions, over 32 of them became acts of the parliament.

The National Assembly members (MNAs) submitted 982 adjournment motions during the last parliamentary year, 80 of them were taken up; 552 calling attention notices were submitted but only 46 were replied.

IV International Conference on Gender Mainstreaming in Planning & Development

A three-day International Conference on Gender Mainstreaming in Planning & Development was held in Islamabad from January 17-19. The conference was attended by participants from Turkey, Iran, India, Indonesia, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Armenia, USA, and from four provinces of Pakistan as well as the AJK and Northern Areas.

The conference compiled a set of recommendations. Following are some suggestions with context to Poverty Reduction, Disaggregated Databases and Institutional Mechanisms:

POVERTY REDUCTION

Redefine Concept of Poverty Line
Region Specific Strategies, having effect on gender equality
Policy and Legislations on ownership rights to women for property, social security nets and rights to social security
Protection to women in distress for shelter and support with day care centers in order to ensure education, nutrition for the children and in order to reduce her social burden
Ensure Gendered access to Environment and CPR
Improve access to Micro Finance for women
Improve relevant income generation activities in rural areas; through innovative agriculture/non-farming and other sources of livelihood.
Involvement of local community particularly and women participation in decision making at all levels
Encourage Public/Private partnership for self sustainability
Re-examine the impact of global forces and institutions and donors on poverty creation and structures

DISAGGREGATED DATABASES

All information and surveys should gather sex disaggregated data
Surveys to ensure quantity and quality data
Identify instruments and mechanisms in data collection addressing gender disaggregated data
Gender experts should be a part of major statistical agencies
Data should be disaggregated by gender at least at union council level.
Engender NPA indicators
Accessibility of data to users and public
Improve gender sensitivity in socio-economical indicators.
Special surveys to fill gender gaps
Compilation and gender statistics based on annual / biannual basis
Training and capacity building on gender statistics

INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS

Gender Sensitized tools and instruments in planning processes
Strengthening the capacity of National Machinery including public and private (human, financial, technical and coordination between them to address gender equality
Increase coordination among public and private sectors organizations, CSO’s and Donors
Gender Sensitized training in public and private sector Institutions including CSOs
Capacity building of organizations and of key stakeholders on gender issues and concerns (formal and informal)
Gender responsive budgeting and provision of financial resources for mainstreaming processes

V NWFP, Balochistan to produce own textbooks

The NWFP and Balochistan would introduce their own textbooks, particularly Islamiat, Urdu and Pakistan Studies, containing Qur’aanic verses, chapter of Hadiths, lessons on the life of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his companions.

In the backdrop of the inter-provincial education ministerial meeting, separate meetings were held with the federal minister and minister of state for education and they were apprised of the reservations. Fazle Ali said the meeting also discussed equivalence of lower courses of religious institutions with matriculation and intermediate certificates and declared that learning of English, Urdu and general mathematics would be necessary for the purpose.

VI Human Rights Watch Launched World Report 2007 on Guantanamo Anniversary

Human Rights Watch released its World Report 2007 on Guantanamo Aniversary (11 January).

The report identifies many human rights challenges in need of urgent attention. Iraq has degenerated into sectarian and political blood-letting, with civilians the principal victims. Ruthlessly repressive governments in North Korea, Burma, and Turkmenistan deprive their people of fundamental rights and dignity. Dictatorships persist in Saudi Arabiaand Syria. China is moving backwards. Russia and Egyptare cracking down on non-governmental organizations. Iran and Ethiopia are silencing dissident voices. Robert Mugabe would rather drive Zimbabweto ruin than tolerate political opposition. Civil war is reigniting in Sri Lanka and intensifying in Afghanistan and Somalia, while conflict continues in Colombia. Israel launched indiscriminate attacks in Lebanon and littered southern Lebanon with cluster bombs during its war with Hezbollah. For its part, Hezbollah attacked Israeli cities without distinguishing between military and civilian objectives. No situation is more pressing than the bloody crisis in Darfur, with more than 200,000 dead, approximately 2 million displaced, and around 4 million dependent on international food relief. The conflict is now destabilizing Chadand the Central African Republic.

US abuses against detainees in the "war on terror" remain a major concern. In September, President George W Bush even defended torture - referring to it euphemistically as "an alternative set of [interrogation] procedures" - and secret CIA prisons. In October, the US Congress, acting at the behest of the Bush administration, denied Guantanamo detainees the possibility of challenging their detention in court via the hallowed right of habeas corpus. Human Rights Watch called on the United States to close the Guantanamo camp, noting that it is long past time to either bring to trial or set free the detainees who remain there.

Human Rights Watch noted some positive developments coming out of the global South, including African leaders' support for the human rights trials of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and former Chadian President Hissène Habré, and Latin American support for the International Criminal Court. But it also urged southern democracies to do more to support human rights, such as by breaking with abusive regional leaders to play a more constructive role at the UN Human Rights Council.

Human Rights Watch's World Report 2007 contains survey information on human rights developments during 2006 in more than 75 countries. In addition to the introductory essay on the European Union, the volume contains essays on freedom of expression since 9/11, the plight of migrant domestic workers, and a human rights agenda for incoming UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Report can be downloaded through following link:

http://www.hrw.org/wr2k7/wr2007master.pdf