Lahore, March 8: On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expresses solidarity with the women who are suffering due to growing violence and various forms of discrimination in the country.

The rise in occurrence of ghastly incidents, such as sectarian violence witnessed in the form of cowardly bomb blasts, has put particularly the women in greater jeopardy. The noncombatant women affected by such atrocities need assistance in various aspects of their life in order to fully recover from the horrors caused by such brutal incidents. Not only do the women require financial compensation to run their households, especially if the traditional male figure head has passed away due to the incident, they also require psychological rehabilitation and care in institutions specializing in the care of women traumatized in such violent acts.

HRCP urges the government of Pakistan to not only take note of the struggles faced by these women but also take concrete steps to address the issues prohibiting them from coping with the rising violence in the country.  The commission also calls upon all state and non-state institutions to set up committees in their organizations for the implementation of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act 2010. Further, HRCP considers women’s participation in all efforts at establishing peace and harmony among various groups absolutely vital and they must be offered all facilities to play this role.

Zohra Yusuf

Chairperson