A Word with Fahmida Riaz Poet and Women s Rights Activist

Transcription

1 Aurat Foundation GENDER EQUITY PROGRAM NEWSLETTER April-June 2012 Issue No. 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE A Word with Fahmida Riaz GEP in Action GEP Capacity Building Expression through Creativity GEP Events GEP Success Stories At a Glance GEP Grant Cycle 4 - Grant Closing Ceremony A Word with Fahmida Riaz Poet and Women s Rights Activist Q: One of your poems has been turned into a GEP title song.tell us about the background of the poem Lal o Gauhar? A: I am honored on that account. This is part of a poem I wrote, inspired whilst reading a poem by Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Like innumerable readers, I love his poetry and read it again and again. Once, as I read his poem Sheesha ho ke moti, jam ke durr, Jo choot gaya, so choot gaya, Kabash kon sey jur sakta hai, jo toot gaya, so toot gaya (Precious jewels and glasses, once shattered, cannot be glued back with tears, to become whole again), I pondered over its meaning. In the poem Faiz goes on to explain these "jewels".they are a man's faith in the finer values of life, his self-confidence, and his aspirations and how the hostile world assaults them, shattering them one by one. So I asked myself, have I, too, lost all my jewels? It occurred to me that this was not true. All my jewels are still intact. As a woman, and as a person who stood up for her values, the attack on me was fierce, vicious from all sides, yet the feminine spirit in me withstood it all. I managed not to succumb to all the negative pressures. My faith, my values, my love for life and selfassertion as a woman, an equal human being, are still intact. Now that GEP is using this particular poem, I am so pleasantly surprised and touched. I also feel that what I wrote about myself is equally applicable to all women, all over the world, but especially in the subcontinent. They begin their journey of life with enormous difficulties.they are supposed to be inferior to men in every respect. No one trusts their intelligence.they are supposed to be faint-hearted and weak.there are horrible prejudices against them yet they take it in their stride and succeed in every field, as career women, scientists, diplomats, 01

2 businesswomen, administrators, you name it, and they have made a place for themselves everywhere. GEP has interpreted this poem to give it universality. I want to thank you. Q:You have edited the script for GEP s upcoming animated series for children on gender-based violence. How was the experience of taking care of words for such a production? A: Over so many years I have been writing for children, have edited and evaluated books, articles, poems and graphic novels that are very much like animated cartoons. So this was not a novel experience for me. For me the novelty lay in working with a young team. I did not want to discourage them and was careful in my editorial comments. It was, on the whole, a good and rewarding experience for me. I wish we could train more writers for children. Q: How would you describe portrayal of Pakistani women in Urdu literature and poetry over the years? A: On this theme I organized a national seminar and a number of eminent women writers participated in it. Later, a book containing these papers was published titled Deconstruction of the Male Perception of Women in Urdu Literature. Our conclusion, and I agree with it personally, was that writers of Urdu literature have presented women both negatively and positively. In the old dastaans, women were presented as very sexy, lustful creatures. But they were also brave and intelligent. Later, writers like Hali and Rashidul Khair presented women as long-suffering, sacrificing pillars of society.then among modern writers, there is a clear divide between progressive and so-called traditionalists in interpreting and representing women.the progressives respected women whereas the traditionalists actually despised them. One very obvious example of these attitudes can be seen in the poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz and N M Rashid. In Faiz s poems, by and large, women come out as gentle, soothing presences, who teach the poet the finer values of life. Rashid was a great poet in some respects, but women in his poems are "an instrument of committing sins". The poems drool on bulging breasts and thighs, and one wonders if he wants them baked or roasted on charcoal. Similarly, some famous writers express fear and horror for female sexuality while others write about female characters who are scheming materialists, out to make a good catch to give them financial security. But Urdu literature also has writers like Manto, Krishan Chandra and some others who depict women with deep respect and tenderness. Manto, especially, has explored the innate humanity of his female characters. Q: In your view how have Pakistan s progressive women writers engaged with the key issues of gender-based violence and discrimination against women? A: All creative work is treated by the artist individually. How key feminist issues are treated by women writers depends upon their temperament, education, and background. Asmat Chugtai and Quratul Ain Haider are two great writers but their treatment of women's issues was very different. Today, it is a wonderful development that scores of women poets and writers are writing on women's issues.women writers are responding well, and are integrated with women's political and societal movements.the credit goes to women's organizations that value literature, organize mushairas and publish translations of women's literary works.we need a lot more research to unearth forgotten or neglected women writers who have been there ever since Urdu literature began. Q:As a women s rights activist and a poet, how do you see the status of Pakistani women today? A: Like all societies in post-colonial states, Pakistani society is not a monolith.there are village women and tribal women, urban women, middle class, working class, and the elite. Development in all these sections is not even. Some age old horrible practices continue in the rural and tribal areas. The good part is that now they are being debated and there are movements against them. Again in urban areas, religious extremism has adversely affected the status of women. But in spite of all these difficulties, women are pushing forward, and their status has improved. They still have to go a long way, but they are already on their way. 02

3 GEP in Action Studying the Kenyan Model to Combat GBV AIC Girl s Boarding School, Kajiado district, Nairobi GEP joined hands with Training for Pakistan, a USAID supported project, to train people on developing Seamless Service Chain for Combating Gender-Based Violence. The idea was to learn from the experiences of a third world country with conditions matching Pakistan s. Kenya was chosen as the destination for such a purposeful study tour from May 12-26, Coalition on Violence against Women (COVAW), a non-profit organization in Kenya, hosted the Pakistani delegation.the study tour also aimed at building a resource of facilitators and volunteers, who could support GEP in its initiatives to combat GBV in Pakistan. supplemented by field visits to various Kenyan organizations that included government and private hospitals, non-profit organizations, shelters, helpline's youth, and girls rescue center -all based in Nairobi and Mombasa. The participants learnt about pro-women legislation in Kenya and found that though Kenyan constitution as well as Sexual Harassment Act (SOA) 2010 are fairly new, they were important steps to safeguard women rights up to the highest level. The touring team comprised 13 members representing the judiciary, women crises centers, Dar-ul-Aman, medico-legal unit of a government hospital, non-profit organizations and members of GEP team. The training program involved visual aids and interactive materials to ensure a participatory learning process.the hands-on learning was Visit to Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi 03

4 integrated with the medico-legal department and substantially reduced the administrative and legal hurdles for GBV survivors. Certificate distribution ceremony at KOVAW, Nairobi For instance, previously punishment for sexual offences used to be the sole discretion of the judge. However, the latest enactment has introduced minimum punishment for offenders, ensuring that if proven guilty, no offender goes scot-free. The Gender Violence Recovery Center of Nairobi Women s Hospital turned out to be a good example to involve the government in providing conducive environment needed to take a nascent initiative to fruition.a key example in this context is inclusion of relevant GBV components in the national curriculum of doctors and nurses. Two health facilities - Nairobi Women s Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital - were selected to study the provision of health services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya. Both facilities have established successful models of one-stop centers to provide fast-track services to survivors of GBV. Since health system is usually the first formal entry point into the chain, well-conceived protocols are in place to ensure the survivors receive proper attention and care.the touring party found that these gender cells were well- Other prominent initiatives for combating GBV included toll-free hotline for survivors.through the helpline, countrywide counseling and other necessary support to victims of violence is provided, including referrals, counseling, prevention from HIV and encouraging women to speak up for their issues related to GBV. Among some key issues faced by Kenyan women is female genital mutilation (FGM). Although with the introduction of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act, this practice has been officially declared illegal, it is still prevalent in tribal settings.there was only one shelter for survivors of FGM in Nairobi which lacked formal protocols and linkages. Visit to Nairobi National Hospital - the Pakistani delegation with medical staff of the hospital The study tour proved to be a great learning experience for the Pakistani delegation that returned with a commitment to replicate some of the positive Kenyan initiatives for GBV survivors in Pakistan. 04

5 GEP Supports Women to Join Law Enforcement and Judicial Systems Young and bright women lawyers assembled in Lahore for a two-day National Lawyers Forum on May 6-7, 2012 organized under Supporting Women to Join Law Enforcement and Judicial Systems, a national grant of GEP awarded under Grant Cycle 2. Supporting Women to Join Law Enforcement and Judicial Systems, aims at helping final year law students and young woman lawyers by offering them apprenticeships in law.these apprentices are expected to acquire expertise in handling women s rights cases; serve as women s legal rights experts and advocates; develop an understanding of existing gender bias in the justice system and to provide pro-bono support to women seeking legal remedies. A total of 100 selected lawyers from four provinces, along with senior and renowned law practitioners, attended the forum. One of its main A young lawyer from Balochistan shares her experience According to GEP s team, the grant has been instrumental in making a substantial difference in the lives of young women lawyers.the statements of few apprentices testify to the tangible impact made. Sabra Islam, a lawyer from Balochistan said: The program has been a great exposure for me. It has enabled me to serve as an ambassador for poor women within the justice systems. A theatrical performance by lawyers from Punjab objectives was knowledge-sharing of apprentices affiliated with law firms across Pakistan.The other agenda points included: key note address by Barrister Shahida Jameel on the life of a woman lawyer; statistical overview of violence against women in Pakistan; enhancing women representation in various Bars; and an overview of legal literacy curriculum. Qamar-un-Nisa, also a lawyer from Balochistan, narrated how local women are cut into pieces and served to dogs, under the guise of Kari (honor killings). Drawing strength from this program, she expressed her resolve to fight such bad customs within the court rooms and at the social level. Local women are not meant to be served as food for dogs, rather they are the creatures that procreate, she said. Semi Magsi, a young lawyer belonging to Sindh, highlighted how this program had helped her gain more confidence and enhanced her knowledge of women-related legal issues.the various gender awareness seminars and information on new gender-friendly laws, organized under the program, helped boost her confidence, she said. 05

6 Sumera Khan, an apprentice from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said the stipend given under the program was really helpful for young female lawyers. An apprentice from Sindh speaks about her experience as a young woman lawyer The apprentices from the four provinces spoke of challenges faced by them such as stiff family resistance, mobility issues, economic constraints and sexual harassment at workplace. The list of their concerns was long and worrisome. However, they expressed their desire to continue their struggle to advance women s legal rights in Pakistan. Majority of them demanded that such a good initiative be extended beyond the Grant Cycle duration. Two-day Mock Court Sessions in District Court, Sukkur Under Gender Equity Program (GEP), a mock court was set up in Sindh province s Sukkur district from April 28-29, 2012 for the first time in Pakistan.This unique live tutorial was conducted with the permission of the Sindh High Court, for hands-on experience of young law practitioners. The law interns for the mock court were selected from across the province.a two-day pre-mock-court training session was also organized for the capacity-building of the participants by Legal Rights Forum, a GEP subgrantee. Interns learnt about professional and legal ethics from various legal experts. The last day of the training was particularly set for orientation about the mock court session. Judicial staff also facilitated the session which was attended by interns and LLB final year students. Two groups were constituted for conducting the mock trial. One group represented a plaintiff wife who had supposedly filed a family suit for maintenance allowance against her defendant Judicial staff facilitates mock court session attended by interns and LLB final year students 06

7 husband who was represented by the second group. Both sides presented arguments following which the presiding judge pointed out the technical mistakes in their arguments.the groups were also given a chance to cross-examine witnesses and cited latest judgments of the apex court which supported their respective stances. Legal expert briefs law interns on legal ethics Senior lawyers and judges present on the occasion appreciated the hard work of both groups and praised their efforts for legal research.as a token of appreciation and encouragement, certificates were distributed among the participants. GEP Trains Young Lawyers on Gender Issues and Legal Ethics Legal Rights Forum, a GEP sub-grantee in Sindh, arranged a three-day training workshop for fresh woman and final year law students in Karachi from June 19-21, The workshop focused on enhancing capacity and developing skills of women law students who are being trained as a resource pool at the local level to play a critical role as future women s rights defenders. The workshop had a different theme each day. The first day was about pro-women legislation when basic gender concepts with regard to justice and legislation were explained. The young lawyers also learnt about international treaties on women. The second day focused on drafting legal research in Pakistan. The country s structure of judicial system along with the skills to draft legal research, communication and social networking tools were explained. The key contents included general preparation, fact management, and legal research, pleading affidavit and various applications.the participants were also informed about good drafting skills related to Civil Procedure Code (CPC ). Law students attend the training workshop The third day s topic was legal communication and legal ethics. Client counseling, leadership skills, and legal code of conduct for an advocate in court were explained to participants besides having discussions on the conduct of lawyers with other advocates and clients. Resident Director, AF Karachi, Mahnaz Rahman, Capacity-Building Officer GEP Shahida Sajid Ali and renowned lawyers facilitated the sessions. The participants were awarded certificates at the end of the workshop. 07

8 GEP Capacity Building Grant Orientation Meetings for Cycle 6-A Capacity Building Unit, GEP, conducted Pre-Grant Orientation Sessions for potential grantees of Grant Cycle 6-A from June 5-7, 2012.The core objective of these workshops was to introduce participants with the nature of work required for GEP and efficient proposal writing. GEP s Grant Cycle 6 focuses largely on combating gender based violence (GBV) in Pakistan. Objectives of this Grant Cycle is to create an enabling environment, raise awareness on GBV, develop and demonstrate a system which leads to full rehabilitation in society and self-fulfillment of GBV survivors. During these meetings, GEP team shared information on grant objectives and procedures. Question-answer sessions were also held to facilitate potential applicants.the focus of this Cycle is to support shelter homes by rehabilitating survivors of gender-based violence. Listed below are the seven grants announced under the Grant Cycle 6-A: Strengthening private shelters in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh Establishment of Psycho-Social and Legal Counseling Units in private shelters located in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh Facilitating economic rehabilitation of GBV survivors in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh Facilitating helpline's response to GBV survivors in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Advocacy and information dissemination campaign at federal level Advocacy and information dissemination campaign in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir Representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), policy think tanks, academic research and training institutions, professional and business associations, media, civic advocacy organizations (CAOs) and civil society coalitions (CSCs) attended the sessions. The meetings were held in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Peshawar. The following is the detail of sessions: 08

9 Success Story A Future Judge Emerges Tabassum Rani was delighted and couldn t believe her luck on meeting the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court Justice Musher Alam, thanks to this great opportunity provided by the Legal Rights Forum, run under the USAID-funded Gender Equity Program (GEP) of Aurat Foundation. practice and told us about Pakistan s judicial system. Inspired by this meeting,tabassum decided to appear in the judiciary examination. My aim is to become a family judge/magistrate, she says. Tabassum Rani receives her certificate from District and Session Judge Amjed Ali It was an honor for me to meet someone of his stature, says Tabassum, a law graduate from Hyderabad. As she began practicing law, she found it difficult to understand Sindh s judicial system. But then, she got chosen for GEP s program - Supporting Women to Join Law Enforcement and Judicial System in Sindh. Through Gender Equity Program, she was also able to network with various fresh law graduates, senior advocates, professors, civil society organizations and human rights defenders. Tabassum feels this program has given her the confidence needed to practice law. There s no reason to practice if one is not confident enough to appear before the court. Presently associated with Bahadur Ali Baloch Law Associates, she regularly attends court proceedings under the guidance of her seniors. For having come this far, Tabassum is grateful to her family. It wouldn t have been possible without their support. She now wants more women to take up law because Pakistani women need a lot of legal advice and support. Under this program I attended a number of workshops facilitated by GEP and learnt the importance of women s rights and Sindh s judicial system, Tabassum says. During her internship, she got a chance to visit Karachi and it was there she met Justice Musher. He shared his experience about his own law From April to June women law students got together to share their experiences 160 women lawyers continued their nine-month internship 09

10 Expression through Creativity SACHET organized 13 poster competitions in cities including Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Khushab, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Gujrat, Sargodha, Jehlum and Mandi Bahuddin during January More than 1500 students and teachers participated in these competitions and expressed their thoughts and commitments in creative ways. Child Members of Sachet-Dhani Theater group performing a stage play on dowry violence in connection with 16 Days of Activism at PC Hotel Chakwal on January 14, 2012 Students in a poster competition proudly display their work at Government Girls High School No 1, Chakwal, on January 13, 2012 Poster by Amber Israr from Government Girls High School No 1, Chakwal, won first prize in a competition held on January 13, 2012 Work by Kehkashan Shaukat from a poster competition held on January 11, 2012 at Shadow Park, Bhakkar 10

11 GEP Events Grants Closing Meeting of Grant Cycle 4 The grants closing meeting for Grant Cycle 4 was held from April 24 to 25, 2012, in Islamabad. Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE), national sub-grantee for Cycle 4, hosted the event.the meeting provided GEP subgrantees from across Pakistan an opportunity to share their experiences and challenges they faced during the implementation of Grant Cycle4. The four-month campaign was aimed at creating awareness among women about their rights besides highlighting issues related to all kinds of violence against women. Under Grant Cycle 4, 900 events were organized in 400 tehsils including AJK and Gilgit Baltistan. More than 50,000 community women and men participated in these activities. national campaigns were also running on TV channels. Agreement Officer Representative USAID, Charles Cutshall talked about GEP, its objectives and issues related to gender based violence and women rights in Pakistan. He said a big number of women in Pakistan, especially those living in remote areas, are deprived of their basic rights and this movement of change should continue untill women get equal role in progress and development of this country. Azhar Bashir Malik, Chief Operating Officer DTCE, congratulated the participants on the successful completion of GEP Grant Cycle 4. He acknowledged the difficulties and challenges faced by sub-grantees during the four-month campaign. Malik said that creating awareness in highly volatile areas like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan shows the commitment of partner organizations towards women empowerment. First day of the meeting was reserved for presentations by GEP sub-grantees from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa whereas sub-grantees from Sindh and Punjab shared their experiences the following day. Information and educational material was displayed through 22 stalls which appeared interesting and meaningful with illustrations and messages. Radio messages and video documentaries on the events of Cycle 4 were also played during the presentations. Speaking on the first day of meeting, Simi Kamal, Chief of Party GEP, said that with Grant Cycle 4, GEP had gone right down to tehsil level and during the height of activities on the ground, Agreement Officer Representative USAID, Charles Cutshall distributes certificates among participants Chief Operating Officer of Aurat Foundation, Naeem Mirza and Country Representative of The Asia Foundation, Gareth Aicken also attended the event on the second day and visited the stalls of sub-grantees. Prizes were distributed among the best three stall-holder organizations.the First prize went to SACHET Pakistan while Aware Girls and AHSAS- PK bagged the second and third prizes. 11

12 Supporting Four-Month Campaign on Gender Based Violence Transforming Leadership toyoung Girls Aware Girls Peshawar conducted 32 events under GEP Grant Cycle 4. Around 2000 boys and girls participated in these activities conducted in 15 tehsils of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to commemorate 16 Days of Activism, National Women s Day and International Women s Day. The events tried to link these days, symbolically, with widespread recognition of human rights abuses against women and initiate a coordinated effort towards women emancipation and empowerment. After attending a seminar organized by GEP, I have realized that dowry is not a good thing. I want my mother not to seek financial help for my dowry. Hulah Hafeez, 19, after attending a seminar organized by SACHET, a sub-grantee of Gender Equity Program (GEP), in connection with 16 Days of Activism in Rawalpindi on January 13,

13 Success Story Moving Towards a Bright Future For Maria Khan and Qurat-ul-Ain Waseem, working on the first ever animation for children on gender-based violence (GBV) - Mein or Meray Dost - was not only a matter of pride but also a great learning experience. The cartoon series, produced under Grant Cycle 2 of Gender Equity Program (GEP), aims at bringing about widespread attitudinal change towards GBV by targeting both boys and girls and focusing on positive character-building of children aged between years. Maria and Qurat-ul-Ain were part of a fivemember group comprising young graduates representing Lahore College for Women University.They all joined Creative Village, the production house that created the animation, almost eight months ago and started their training in animation-making, sponsored by USAID. For Qurat-ul-Ain Waseem (right), working on animation provided her an insight into different aspects of gender-based violence For her, the best part was using the Motion Capture machine. This is the first time in Pakistan that such technology was used to produce an animation, she says. Motion Capture or Mocap refers to recording actions of human actors, which are then used to animate digital character models in 2D or 3D computer animation. Although animation in Pakistan is mainly seen as a male-dominated profession, it is heartening for us to be setting the trends and norms that would allow women to come forward and explore their artistic side besides building firm roots in the profession, Maria says. Maria Khan throughly enjoyed the experience of working on animation series Besides Maria Khan and Qurat-ul-Ain Waseem, other members of the group were Azka Qaseem, Saima Ahmed and Aisha Ahmed.The credit of involving women animators in this project goes to USAID s supported GEP s policies of ensuring equal participation of women in all its projects. It was a wonderful opportunity for us as we got training of international level in skills and technologies that are hardly applied in our media industry, says Maria In addition to their professional development, the animation provided them an insight into different aspects of gender-based violence in the society. We knew that GBV is a reality but we were never able to feel it the way we did while making this animation, says Qurat-ul-Ain. She said that the concept was to provide solutions to issues rather than only pointing out the types and impact of GBV. I believe that in order to curtail the impact and transition of gender based violence through generations, we need to have more such interventions, says Qurat-ul-Ain. 13

14 At a Glance Grants Closing Meeting of Grant Cycle 4 Sub-grantees for Grant Cycle 4 display information and educational material at the grant closing meeting organized on April 24-25, 2012 in Islamabad. Representatives of Kainat Development Association (KDA) from Sindh describe the concept behind their posters to a visitor Work of FIDA Foundation from Khyber Pukhtunkhwa on display 14

15 AZAT Foundation sub-grantees from Balochistan showcasing their awareness material Stall-holder representing Community Support Concern (CSC) and Godh from Punjab 15

16 I walked into the room expecting a regular event but this particular workshop turned out to be so much more than I expected. It enabled us to effectively apply the survey techniques in all our campaigns and productions. Fatima Ghani attended a training organized by Four Corners under USAID s Gender Equity Program where she learnt techniques to conduct baseline and endline surveys. Editor: Myra Azam Concept: Samina Naz A prize-winning poster by Tooba Mehmood from Bhakkar on display at Grants Closing Meeting of Grant Cycle 4 under USAID supported Gender Equity Program. The poster was part of the competitions organized by SACHET during four-month campaign aimed at creating awareness among women about their rights besides highlighting issues related to violence against women. Information info.gep@af.org.pk, Mail: PO Box No. 1105, Islamabad, Pakistan. This publication is made possible by the support of American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of the Aurat Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or United States Government. 16