Reflection Seminar: Improving Gender Parity for Strengthening Gender Responsive Justice.
Islamabad: A landmark seminar, titled “Reflection Seminar: Improving Gender Parity for Strengthening Gender Responsive Justice in Pakistan,” Rozan in collaboration with UN Women and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Islamabad, was successfully held to highlight the achievements, challenges, and future directions for fostering gender parity within Pakistan’s justice sector. The event convened key stakeholders, including policymakers, civil society members, and justice sector professionals, to discuss collaborative strategies for creating an inclusive and equitable justice system.
Opening Note
The seminar commenced with an opening note by Mr. Babar Bashir, Managing Director of Rozan, who underscored the significance of gender-responsive reforms in strengthening the justice sector. He highlighted the collaborative efforts between justice institutions and civil society, emphasizing that gender parity is not only a matter of fairness but also critical to achieving justice for all.
Legal procedures followed for constitutional amendment: Tarar
This seminar was part of a broader project aimed at building institutional capacities and offering policy recommendations to enhance gender responsiveness within Pakistan’s justice institutions. Key initiatives included raising community awareness regarding women’s employment opportunities in the police and judiciary, establishing women-police community groups to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), and providing targeted training for police station staff and judicial officers to address GBV cases effectively.
Keynote Address
Ms. Ayesha Wadood, Project Manager at UN Women, delivered a compelling keynote address, sharing insights into the broader matrix of UN Women’s efforts to promote gender parity in the justice sector. She lauded the project’s focus on establishing gender-sensitive recruitment processes within the police and judiciary and emphasized the importance of professional development programs for women lawyers to empower them to join and thrive in the judiciary.
Panel Discussion
Advancing Gender Parity in Pakistan’s Justice Sector—Achievements, Challenges, and the Path Forward. Furthermore, she emphasized the need to continue working on addressing structural barriers to gender parity, increase awareness of inclusivity, and invest more in training and capacity building on gender sensitivity, Chaired by Ms. RukhshandaNaz, Ombudsperson KP.
The seminar featured engaging panel discussions that explored the progress made, key learnings, and persistent barriers to gender parity. Recommendations for increasing women’s inclusion and retention in the justice sector were presented, offering actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.
Strategies for creating a supportive and inclusive work environment through training, promotions, and professional development.
The pivotal role of women’s inclusion in addressing GBV within the justice sector.
International commitments and Pakistan’s vision for gender parity in justice institutions.
Keynote Speech
Honorable Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani of the Islamabad High Court delivered a keynote speech titled “Strengthening Legal Frameworks for Gender Parity: The Role of Judiciary in Advancing Gender Responsive Justice in Pakistan.” Justice Kiyani highlighted the critical role of the judiciary in advocating for gender-responsive reforms, emphasizing the need for robust legal frameworks and effective implementation to ensure justice for all.
The project also organized a professional development course for young women lawyers in collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy. This initiative aimed to encourage more women to join the judiciary, contributing to a more gender-balanced justice system. Human resource personnel from KP and Balochistan police and judiciary were trained to adopt gender-sensitive recruitment practices, further promoting inclusivity.
Closing Remarks
The seminar concluded with closing remarks by Mr. JamshedKazi, Country Representative for UN Women Pakistan, who emphasized the importance of collective action to address gender disparities in the justice sector. He reiterated UN Women’s commitment to supporting Pakistan in its journey toward achieving gender parity in justice institutions.
Significance of the Seminar:
The Reflection Seminar provided a critical platform for showcasing successful initiatives, sharing experiences, and discussing challenges in promoting gender parity within the justice sector. By fostering dialogue and collaboration, the event set the stage for future efforts to create a justice system that is inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of all individuals, especially women.
