GENDER EQUALITY IS OUR COMMITMENT, AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION’
By. Asghar Ali Mubarak
Islamabad- Pakistani men and women today joined Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson, Trocaire Country Director John O’Brien and ZONG Chief Regulatory Officer Kamran Ali to reaffirm their commitment to gender equality.
The commitment ceremony ‘Pur Azm for Gender Equality’ marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of 16 days of Activism. Participants signed cards committing to gender equality and challenging gender-based violence. The cards were attached to white biodegradable balloons and simultaneously released.
The Australian Government in partnership with Trócaire launched the national media advocacy campaign Pur AzM last year to highlight the issues around gender-based violence in Pakistan. The Pur Azm campaign, ‘Gender equality – Our commitment’, is a call to youth, men and women to reaffirm their commitment to promote gender equality and challenge gender based violence.
The second phase of the Pur Azm campaign will build on this year’s media campaign which focused on public service messaging around encouraging fathers to be guarantors to prevent GBV; recognition of gender based violence; and educating police in dealing with GBV survivors. With the help of ZONG’s partnership in 2017, Pur Azm will focus on the private sector.
Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson welcomed Pakistan’s recent adoption of laws for the protection of women. “Eliminating violence against women everywhere is a key part of Australia’s foreign policy and overseas aid program. Ending violence against women is a huge challenge but one that we can address by taking a stand against the violence through the rule of law, our education curricula, and on a community level by supporting victims and by collective effort to change the attitudes that tolerate such behaviour.” Ms Adamson said.
“Together with the Australian Government, Trócaire is very much pleased to have ZONG join us as the official corporate partners of the Pur Azm campaign and we look forward to developing synergies with this telecom giant to promote and position the causes of women and girls in Pakistan. This partnership is a classic example of the Development sector collaborating with the corporate sector to enhance outreach and achieve sustainable results,” Mr John O’Brien, the Country Director Trócaire in Pakistan said.
Mr Maham Dard, Director of Corporate Affairs, ZONG Pakistan, elaborated their CSR philosophy by saying; “At Zong, we fully realize our role as a responsible corporate entity in the social setting we operate in and are determined to deliver to this objective through multi-stakeholder partnerships that support access to critical human needs, education, healthcare, empowerment and social inclusivity.“
Trócaire is an Irish international organization operating in Pakistan and was founded in 1973. Trócaire envisions creating a just and peaceful world where every human lives life of respect and dignity and basic fundamentals rights are ensured and respected.
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