Genderdemocracy

Organization of women in parliamentary politics in collaboration with HBS organized a round table consultation on International Human Rights Conventions Ratified by Pakistan on 28th of October, 2014 at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS).

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung and Shirkat Gah – Women’s Resource Centre hold an International conference on “Women, Religion and Politics” on 17-18 of March, 2011, at Holiday Inn Hotel, Lahore, where eminent speakers, discussants from International and National participated.

Women parliamentarians from all political parties under the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) adopted a historic declaration to protect and preserve the provisions of reserved seats for women in the national assembly, senate and the provincial assemblies in Pakistan. It also urges upon the political parties to select women on direct elections and to increase their representation on leadership positions within political parties and other political forums.

The three topics Democracy, Traditions, and Gender are strongly interrelated. Thus the conference offered various representatives of the civil society from South and West Asia to discuss always two of these topics through the lens of the third one.

Aurat Foundation has for a long time wanted to compile a book focusing on the first four-year term of the newly elected women councilors, highlighting their experiences, struggles and success stories. We strongly believe that such a publication would guide aspiring women politicians and aid them in their careers. The second edition was now launched.

As part of an effort by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Pakistan to further debate on the relationship between Women, Culture and Development, a discussion between various women scholars and activists was organized in the regional office in Lahore in 1994. The first meeting was developed to an Annual Women and Religion Symposium, held from 1996 until 2002, and was addressing a range of issues pertaining to women and different religious traditions.

This book, Scratching the Surface: Democracy, Traditions, Gender provides an inside to the multi-faceted nature of democracy and its complex demands. It looks into greater detail, the conceptual anomalies, the structural inequalities, and ethical defects, especially in the context of South Asian countries.

Heinrich Böll Stiftung and National Commission on the Status of Women jointly organized one day round table meeting on 12th April 2013, where more than 22 eminent women from civil society, women organizations, gender experts, media, EU representatives and government have participated and actively took part in the discussion.