16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence
Progress Report on The Activities in Afghan Refugees and IDPs camps
(Community Development Unit (CAR) & Just Peace International.)
Objective: “Human Rights for women and Human Rights for all”
Abbreviation:
CDU: Community Development Unit Afghan
Commissionerate
IDPs: Internally Displaced Persons
YWO: Youth welfare organization
CTC: Child to child program
SWC: Social welfare committee
CDO: Community Development officer
CAR: Commsissionerate Afghan Refugees
NWFP Peshawar
Juma Prayer: Friday Prayer
Grand Shuras: Jirga (Council of elders)
Islami Khidmatgar: Scouts
Malgari Juna Groups: Girls Groups
CDU arranged different activities in refugee and IDPs camps of NWFP to highlight the issues under Gender Based Violence in the community, and sensitized the target population elders and women in particular to cater for human and women rights.
Gender Based Violence includes physical, mental, or social abuse that is directed against a person because of his or her gender role in a society or culture. Examples include:
- A girl is not allowed to go to school because of gender role expectations in the family (housekeeping, cooking, care of children, etc.);
- A girl or woman is required to marry against her will according to local custom; or
- A woman or girl is prevented from freely walking around in her own community because of cultural practices that require women to be accompanied by a male when in public.
- Early Marriages
- Domestic violence
- Child Labour
- Selling of girls
- Sawara/giving females in enmity
- Participation in decision making
- Honor killing
- General discrimination
- Control on personal earning etc.
Publicity material i.e. Posters, pamphlets, badges, key chains and other sensitization/awareness materials have been provided for all events in the province by Just peace International.
Dir/Timergara
In District Dir different Programe were organized in Refugees and IDPs camps from 27-11-2008 to 10-12-2008 in schools jointly with BEFARe and community structures including , Grand Shuras, Social welfare Committees, Youth Welfare Organizations, child to child, Islami Khidmatgar and Malgari Juna groups by CDU staff. Activities included group discussions, meetings with social welfare committees and other groups, a joint meeting of IPs and social welfare committee in Samarbagh IDP camp and a joint gathering of primary and middle school students and one walk in Timer camp by YWO.
A drawing competition was also arranged by YWO Toor camp and the participants very clearly propagate their views regarding women and children rights.
A joint meeting of IPs and social welfare committee members in Samarbagh IDP camp was organized on 6-12-2008. in this meeting a detail discussion was made on women and human rights. Different topics like honor killings, sawara, domestic violence, early marriages, child labour and deprivation of girls from education etc were brought under discussion. Discussion was raised among the participants especially on honor killing, early marriages and child labour. All the members were against the menace of honor killing and other traditions in our society. In the meeting the members of SWC ensured that they will work on these issues in their camps on priority basis.
All the social animators male and female worked on the task through out the period from 27-11-08 to 10-12-2008. They covered all the schools, grand shuras, social welfare committees, and general population of the camps. They organized small group discussions, dramas, poster competition and a walks by youth groups.
In Chakdara camp the religious leaders discussed the women rights in detail in the light of Quran and Hadiths of the prophet(PBUH) . They said that women rights are very clear in Quran and no other religion can gives such number of rights given in Islam. They said in the coming Juma prayers in mosques they will bring the topics in addresses.
In all these programs some posters, charts and banners were used for the awareness of the public. Pamphlets were distributed among the participants of the meetings, provided to teachers and other educated people. Posters were displayed on wall in streets, in schools and in BHUs. The impact was very good as every one who saw the poster wanted to know its aim and objective and they were updated by providing information regarding women rights and rights for all.
The entire programmes conducted in schools were jointly arranged with BEFARe and the staff was very cooperative. They provided space, arranged tea and refreshments for the participants.
In discussion with CTC and IK members they sensed the issue and said that they will work on child labour, deprivation of girls from education and early marriages in their respective localities as these three issues are much related to children.
Palosi Camp
In Palosi camp the just Peace International NGO supplied Pamphlets, Charts “Violence against Women” it aims to spread the information in community regarding violence against women and educate the women to known their rights and their specific and important role in the community.
Female and Male Social Welfare Committee and Malgari Juna Groups & Youth groups actively participated in this campaign and displayed the charts and pamphlets on walls. The Charts and Pamphlets also distributed in all IPs and NGOs who are working in the Palusa camp.
Celebrated a day of “Violence Against Women” CDU staff hold meetings with the different NGOs, in a camp as well as in the school. The CDU staff held separate meetings with males and females, and discussed different aspects of violence against women in the camp, which was appreciated by the community.
Haripur/ Mansehera
Panian Camp
Posters, charts and banners were used for the awareness and distributed in the camps. Posters were displayed on wall in streets, in schools and in BHUs. The impact was very good as every one who saw the poster needed its aim and objective and they were updated by providing information regarding women rights and rights for all.
In School No. 64 the program was celebrated the students and teachers delivered the speeches on this occasion.
In Khaki camp
In Khaki camp the Grand shura and other sub-committees spread the information in the camps.
In school code Nos. 336, 018, 0965, 024, 027, 337, 029 and 067 programs was organized on that occasion the students display drama, poems and speeches. The teaches also delivered speeches on the subject, and create awareness regarding women rights in the community and also in the light of Islam.
Ichrian camp
In Ichrian camp Gender Based Violence programme was celebrated in High Secondary School. The Grand shura members, Youth Welfare Organization group, Islami Khidmatgar and CTC groups actively participated in the program.
The students display drama, poems and speeches. The teachers also delivered speeches on that occasion and create awareness regarding women rights in the community and also in the light of Islam.
Bannu and Lakki Marwat.
Campaign against Gender Based Violence in all over the camps of Bannu and Lakki Marwat was celebrated.
In this connection meetings were held with Grand Shuras male and female, Youth welfare Organizations, Malgari Juna and child to child groups. In meeting generate discussion on SGBV, Human rights for women and human rights for all, to ensure their rights in the community and also their attention was drawn on gender issues and problems, and seeking community support to avoid gender discrimination.
The CDU staff could not manage to have big event on district level due to security problem, but we only managed to organized small events in four camps of Bannu district, i.e. Bezen Khel, Gandi, Nawrong and Gambila. So all the Grand shura members male/female, Youth welfare, Social Welfare Committee actively participated in the small event, like speeches poems, role play etc on the subject them. We also organized meetings with IPS representative and district administrator and were informed about (16) day’s activitism on Gender Based Violence. They fully supported us. In addition the following gender issues/problems were included in the discussion and awareness.
- Deprivation from Education
- Early Marriages
- Domestic violence
- Child Labour
- Selling of girls
- Sawara
- Participation in decision making
- Honor killing
- General discrimination
- Control on personal earning etc.
In BHU training was arranged regarding Gender Based Violence against women in this training Social Welfare Committee members are also participated in the training.
Mardan/Sawabi
In Baghicha camp Islami Khidmatgar arranged a gathering about awareness in the teenagers about Gender Base Violence and Human Rights.
Youth Welfare organization, Islami Khidmatgar presented poems, anthems and delivered speeches and expressed their views about Gender Base Violence and Human Rights. At the end of programme Grand shura distributed prizes.
In IRC Primary school a function was organized and religious leader school teachers and social welfare committee members actively participated in it.
Grand Shura meeting elders and FPHC members CHS (Community Health Trainers) discussed Islamic point of view and Gender Base Violence and Human Rights & HIV AIDs. They are showed the posters about SGBV and HIV.
In Baghicha camp primary school code No. 113 students of presented poems, role plays about Gender Base violation and Human rights.
In Qutab Garh Primary school No. 326 children are presented poems, role plays about Gender Base violation and Human rights.
In Jalala camp FPHC, Primary school, Middle School, BHU Grand Shura, YWO and other elder of community and Dr. Arif and Haytatullah Social Animator expressed their view about Gender Base violence and Human& child rights and HIV (AIDs in Afghan Refuges camp.
Dargai in Refugees primary school students presented poems, role plays about Gender Base violence and Human rights.
In Gandaf camp Grand shura president Haji Zairf Khan, BEFARe FES Faizaullah Khan, Social Animator Mujerabullah Haqmal organized programme about Gender Base violence and Human rights. The school students presented poems, role plays Gender Base violence and Human rights.
In Girls Primary school code NO. 093 and code 281 also organized the function and the students presented poems, role plays and teachers delivered speeches about Gender Base violence and Human rights.
In Barakai camp a large gathering of grand Shura sectorial committees Youth Welfare organization and other community members of the camp were present on the occasion speeches delivered by Grand Shura Members, Youth Welfare members, school Teachers Ullemas and social animators about the GBV and Human Rights situation in World particularly in Afghan Refugees.
In Barakai camp religious leaders and camp elders delivered speeches I the light of Islam about gender Base Violence and human rights Islam has given more rights tan any religion so a s Muslim we have to give them their due rights.
Peshawar camps
In the light of the meeting held with CDO Central Zone on 8th November 2008, gathering regarding campaign on above cited activities from 26 –11-2008 to 10-12-2008 throughout the camps in central zone.
The activities were carried out in the communities’ existing community structures of CDU like, Youth welfare organizations, Grand Shuras, Malgari Juna groups etc members were guided that how they will carry out this activity in the light of their previous trainings conducted by CDU/Car trainers.
Groups discussion were made with the elders of the community and school teachers and high lighted the importance of this activity and its effects on the individual life of Afghan living within a joint family system. The ulma committee specially highlighted the issue in Juma pray in the mosque.
A large programme was arranged by Malgeri Juna in Mund camp who highlighted the violence on women’ s domestic violence and its effects on the family as well as on the whole society. The male Grand Shura specially permitted the Malgari Juna group to Perform this activities for the betterment of relations within the family structure and the community.
Likewise Grand Shura of Munda camp also organized a gathering and explain the posters and othe IEC materials though group discussions and highlighted the role of grand shura in the preventing gender based violence in the community. Representatives from Pakistani community also participated in the gathering. They appreciated the efforts of UNHCR and CDU in awareness raising and driving the attention of community toward this hidden violence which happened in the society in large scale. They assured that they would distribute the pamphlets in the local community.
The social animators were given special tasks to make the campaign more successful.
A walk was arranged by grand shura of shamshatoo camp to highlighted the issues of gender based violence in the community.
A joint discussion was also made in khazana camp in which afghan and Pakistani community participated where the ulmma highlighted women rights in Islam and their violation in our society.
A joint discussion was made in IDPs camp Kachagrahi where IPs and community members actively participated. They appreciated the posters and pamphlets and were agreed to display the same publicly in the camp so that all members of the society must aware such violence/ issues that actively occurred in our community.
Special thanks to Just peace international for providing timely publicity material for the two weeks events in IDPs camps and refugees villages. It is further to be mentioned that such events took place for the first time in the refugee’s community in general and IDP’s in particular as all IDP’s population belong to the tribal areas inaccessible for such activities, due cultural, traditional, law and order situation.
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