Gender violence - change needs to start at home

Fri, November 27, 2020

PESHAWAR:

During a session on gender-based violence held on Wednesday, speakers stressed on the need for 'change starting at home,' besides implementation of concerning laws.

The discussants urged the government and decision makers to review policies and strategies to address gender inequality.

Speakers, including United Nations (UN) officials, scholars, parliamentarians and students, were of the view that change with regard to gender violence has been rather slow.

However, the speakers believed that communities, specifically individuals, could play a vital role in order to end abusive behavior, adding that achieving this alone could increase the respect for and value of women's role in society.

Speaking on the occasion, head of UNHCR sub-office in Peshawar Bernard Inkoom stated that the office conducted several capacity-building and training workshops for government officials, law enforcement agencies, partners and refugees on the basic concepts concerning gender-based violence. These included psychological first aid, mental health and case management.

Inkoom stated that he was pleased to have been able to register success on some of the most sensitive topic - considered among refugees as taboos - with innovative programmes, including ‘safe from the start’ and engaging men and boys through accountable practices.

He observed that apart from relying on legislation and parliament, the society needed to change its attitude towards women at home "as children learn from their homes,” he told The Express Tribune.

Terming change in attitude toward gender-based violence as visible but slow, educationists observed that abrupt changes could give rise to other issues, such as retaliation from the society.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2020.

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