21st December 2022 | Syed Abbas Gardezi
Muzaffarabad:
This was said by National Defence University (NDU) Professor Dr Shaheen
Akhtar on Tuesday. She was leading a training session that the Center for Peace,
Development and Reforms had organized. The one-day event was attended by 25 Azad
Jammu and Kashmir women. Dr Akhtar emphasised the necessity of structural
reforms and policies in advancing women’s participation in Azad Jammu and
Kashmir’s socioeconomic life. According to her, the impact of the Kashmir
conflict circumscribed women majority in drafting and execution of strategic
plans embodying policy-making and hampered their functioning in core spaces. In
this background, empowering women in crisis must be one of the most important
tasks.
She underlined the need to develop a network of established women mediators
who can run advocacy campaigns. “It is vital to recognize the contribution and
efforts of women in the peace-making process for meaningful results as they
constitute 49% of the Azad Jammu Kashmir population,” she emphasized, adding
that the very existence of empowered women demanded termination of conventional
patriarchal practices for a befitting governance. Their representation requires
acceptability and substantial validity for participation and ratified output.
Unfortunately, due to socio-cultural and financial constraints, AJK women
question their strength, otherwise they possess massive potential to underline
their inclusion in the peace-making and conflict resolution process by being
effective mediators.
CPDR President Zulfiqar Abbasi said the CPDR sought to advance
gender-sensitive and inclusive policies to assist social and economic reforms in
Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, he suggested that numerous projects be
started to empower women through skill development courses and dispute
resolution training to enhance their socioeconomic standing. According to him,
no nation has ever advanced economically or socially without empowering its
women; putting women behind will keep the nation behind.
According to Ershad Mahmud, CPDR executive director, women’s involvement and
participation may be ensured through educating and empowering them at various
levels. He claimed that although the empowerment of women was currently
receiving some attention from authorities in AJK, more thorough research was
still required to fully comprehend the reality of women’s access to healthcare,
jobs and education.
Manal Sohail, anthropologist and communication specialist, BRET Solutions,
discussed the aspects of individuals’ wellbeing through self-awareness agenda,
and how it helps illuminate the blind spots. She said better decision,
creativity and collaborative initiative hailed from confident individuals and
emboldened women could be a source of a true global inspiration. She indicated
the importance of enhanced social and cultural learning to interact and develop
objective and thoughtful women leaders to confute the societal stereotypes. Her
focus on living a balanced life reflected the need to expand knowledge and
behaviours. “Women in Azad Kashmir are aware of their potential and skills. The
core idea is to activate their intrinsic traits for pronounced representation
and better outcomes.” She asked the participants to prioritize their fundamental
rights and growth traits that ought to enable them in building an unbiased
society, particularly in the conflicted regions.
Several women from various parts of AJK voiced multiple issues like lack of
resources, unlawful prejudice, limiting their political participation,
employment opportunities, healthcare, conveyance and other facilities that
distract them for accomplishing their goals. Discussing the creation of
institutional framework, Asma Ali Shan challenged the traditional dynamics of
the society that generally overlooked the perspective of gender. Afifa Awais
said women in Kashmir understood the notion of peace in the most realistic way.
Their propensity for fostering non-violent societies through peacemaking,
mediation and negotiation processes characterised their desire to advance
peacefully.
Irtaza Muhammad, a programme officer at the CPDR, noted that Kashmiri women
were gradually advancing in every aspect of life. As many as 31 women ran for
office in the recent local government elections, and some of them won in fierce
competitions, shocking political watchers worldwide. Dr Shaheen Akhtar and Manal
Sohail distributed certificates to participants.
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