Shazia Tahir
Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : Aawaz Il organized a two-day learning and experience-sharing forum with community leaders, members of Aawaz Il forums, and youth volunteers from 15 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The event highlighted community engagement and behavior change efforts of Aavwaz ll in addressing critical issues like gender-based violence, child marriage, tolerance, and social cohesion.
Henrietta Hamilton Deputy Development Director, FCDO in Pakistan emphasized the collective action needed to address complex challenges of GBV, child marriage, and minority rights that have been exacerbated by factors, “Climate change adds complexities toGBV but together we can find long-term solutions for a more inclusive society.”
Faizi, transgender rights campaigner from Aawaz || District Forum Toba Tek Singh shared how “if we want marginalized communities to be safe and protected, we need to integrate these communities into society and reduce the distances and differences between them. Today, it is not just me standing here before you but many others like me.”
Rabia Javeri Agha, Chairperson National Commission on Human Rights highlighted that change in attitudes and mindsets requires continuous efforts and looked to civil society to support them.
“The government is committed to providing greater space for civil society & NGOs to thrive and we hope to collaborate to scale up successful initiatives & replication to address child rights,” urged Ayesha Raza Farooq, Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of Children.
“A comprehensive policy is currently being drafted with support from academia and representatives from various marginalized communities. I invite citizens to reach out Social Welfare Department office for suggestions,” Deputy Director, Social WelfareDepartment Punjab, Muhammad Shahid.
“Effective community engagement is paramount to successful policy development and implementation, especially when aiming for behavior change,” shared Dr. Yasmin Zaidi, Aawaz I| Team lead while emphasizing the need for enhanced collaboration with relevant government departments.
Participants recommended a continued focus on behavior change for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, transgender persons, and religious minorities. District-level structures, helplines, and support structures facilitating women at the grassroots level were also discussed at the event. Resource allocation for government departments for community engagement in collaboration with marginalized groups was also stressed. Participants also discussed the need for all policies and legislation to have a community engagement component focusing on women, religious minorities, persons with disabilities, and transgender persons.
Aawaz Il is a program managed by the British Council with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCD0).
