KARACHI, Dec 29: The data compiled in a survey of union councils reveals that councillors lack basic knowledge of both national and international laws on the rights of women and children.
Hardly 21 per cent of the surveyed councillors had heard of Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Not more than 25 per cent of them knew about the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) and 10 per cent about the Sindh Children’s Act, according to a report released by ‘Madadgaar’ the helpline for women and children that is run by the Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid, (LHRLA), Karachi.
The report says that many of the surveyed councillors lacked clarity regarding their basic role and responsibilities within the local government system. Of them, 84 per cent pointed out that the Community Citizens Board had not yet been established in their union councils.
The report was released at a workshop, organized by the Madadgaar at a local hotel for the finalization of the up-coming ‘Guidebook for Union Council Representatives’.
The Madadgaar has been organizing such workshops with the aim of creating basic legal awareness and skill-development for councillors in the area of protection to women and children.
The workshop participants included more than 50 male and female councillors from Karachi. Many of them have also participated in similar workshop on the subject held earlier in the year.
Programme Officer of Madadgaar Musarrat Parveen and legal research consultant Amina Mazhar shared with the participants the findings of the survey and proposed manual.
The councillors were presented a synopsis of the proposed content for the guidebook that has been developed in the light of the survey data and fieldwork with concerned stakeholders, including Town Nazims, UC Nazims, councillors, local government officials, the CPLC and advocates.
The councillors themselves have provided invaluable input and suggestions for the guidebook which aims to both provide a general overview of the role of UC members in grass-roots advocacy and a social change. The guidebook would also equip the councillors with relevant laws and procedure to deal with the subject issues within their respective jurisdictions. —PPI
