KARACHI, March 27: Women lawyers can play an effective role for the protection of the fundamental rights of the people as well as contribute towards the empowerment of women.

These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar on empowerment of Pakistani women held here on Monday.

The chief of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), Sharfuddin Memon, was the chief guest on the occasion.

He opined that strong feudal and patriarchal social structure, cultural bias against women, the acceptance of traditional customary laws etc had created an environment which was not conducive to the aspirations of the contemporary women.

Mr Memon maintained that in the face of longstanding hostility towards women, the human rights and women’s rights organizations had battled the forces of tradition to have those laws enforced, which grant women rights according to the constitution.

In a collaborative effort, these and other organizations such as the CPLC, a statutory institution working on the lines of an NGO, have established networks to protect the rights of women victims of crimes, and provide them with legal, medical and psychological help, he added.

Mr Memon said that it was widely accepted that proactive measures by the government aimed at ensuring fair, firm and sensitive enforcement of laws for the protection of women and removing from the statute book those that discriminate against them, would go a long way in providing necessary relief to victims.

Speaking about the nature, causes and extent of crimes against women, the CPLC chief said that crimes against women were generally attributable to different cultural, sociological, and political factors.

He maintained that South Asia was an intra-regional market for trafficked women. Trafficking of women takes different forms, including prostitution, cheap labour, organ trading, forced marriages, beggary, etc.

Mr Memon said that rape, honour killings, domestic violence, stove burnings and sexual harassment were the different forms of crimes against women.

Speaking on the occasion, the vice-chairperson of Sindh Bar Council, Noor Naz Agha, said that concrete steps should be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of life.

She said that during the last decade, the number of lady judges and lawyers had increased and that was not only a good sign towards the empowerment and development of women but a step forward towards gender equality.

Ms Agha hoped that this process would continue till women get complete equality in our country and globally.

The president of YWCA, Prof Nuzhat, PAWLA President Rashida Patel and others also spoke.—APP