KARACHI, Aug 23: Women activists have decided to hold a meeting with representatives of political parties to discuss with them the proposed suggestion regarding gender issues which they should include in their manifestoes.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Legislative Watch Group of the Aurat Foundation on Friday. Representatives of over 13 civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations participated.

The participants also decided to hold a meeting of the NGOs and political parties so that they could discuss the proposed suggestions that have been sent by the Aurat Foundation to the political parties and take their responses and if possible commitment on these suggestions.

The meeting also decided to formulate a core group, members of which would continue to pursue the political parties even after the elections to remind the political parties to implement these suggestions.

One of the participants suggested that after the recent constitutional amendments, it looked that politicians would have limited powers in the new government, so besides the politicians the real policy-makers and people who mattered be also approached so that these suggestions could be implemented.

Some of the suggestions sent to the political parties by the Aurat Foundation are that all parallel legal and quasi-legal systems be abolished to ensure a uniform, integrated judicial system in the country.

A legal frame-work be developed to ensure compliance of conventions / instruments relating to human rights signed, ratified or acceded to by Pakistan, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Child Rights Convention, etc.

All laws that are discriminatory towards any section of the society, such as Citizenship Act, Hudood Ordinances, Law of Evidence and Qisas and Diyat provisions incorporated in the Pakistan Penal Code, be repealed. All other laws that are also discriminatory towards women be made in accordance with the recommendations given by the Commission of Inquiry on Women (1997).

They also suggested child care centres, hostels for working women and shelters for the poor, destitutes, and victims of violence be established. They also suggested that electronicmedia be made autonomous and fundamental rights of freedom of speech and expression be ensured, and gender sensitive policies be adopted.

They also demanded that seats for women and minorities be reserved in the upper house of the parliament, Senate and they also be inducted in armed forces.

The suggestions encompass many issues, including violence, economy and poverty, employment, agriculture, education and training, health and population, environment, physical infra structure, institutional mechanisms, media, etc.

Representatives of PILER, Takhleeq Foundation, Urban Resource Centre, Shirkatgah, PAWLA, SEVA, Caritas, PAVNA, PML (N), etc attended the meeting organized by the Aurat Foundation.

Nuzhat Shirin, Aslam Brohi, Hassan Abidi, Farhat Parveen Zahid Farooq, Ayesha Mir, Salima Waheed, Surraiya Siddiqui, Abida Basheer, and others also spoke.