Media urged to highlight women’s issues
KARACHI: Speakers and participants at a meeting of journalists on women’s issues here on Monday were of the unanimous view that there is a need to bring about further changes in the attitude of society towards women’s issues.
The meeting, held to form a “Media Watchdog journalists Group” on the Beijing Follow-up Unit and CEDAW Implementation, was organized by the Inter- Press Communication (IPC) at a local hotel.
The participants said due to cooperation between the media and NG0s, women’s issues were now highlighted in the local press.
The participants underlined the need for close coordination between the media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the government for awareness of women’s issues in society.
The adviser of Shirkat Gah on Beijing Plus-Five, Shagufta Alizai, highlighted the participation of the NGOs in various activities after the Beijing Conference on Women.
She said Pakistan had prepared a National Plan of Action (NPA), following the Beijing Conference. Pakistan is one of the countries that has done so, she said.
Ms Alizai said Pakistan’s NPA was drafted following a participatory process involving both government and society in all the provinces of the country. She said the NPA needed more than 600 actions for its implementation.
Perveen Shaikh, of the Beijing Follow-up Unit, Sindh, appreciated the role of journalists in creating awareness of women’s issues. She said there was a need to publish more material on women’s problems. Hilda Saeed, of Shirkat Gah, said women were being killed in the name of “honour killing.” This term should not be used because this is the “most dishonour killing,” she asserted.
The editor of IPC Feature Service, Sheen Farrukh, secretary-general of IPC, Rehana Iftikhar, Atiya Dawood, Humaira Athar, Abdul Hakim Baloch, journalist Mujahid Barelvi and other also spoke at the meeting.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/16/1999
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