Campaign Against Domestic Violence – ‘Ghar Ki Baat Ghar Main Ab Nai Rahegi, NazarAndazi Ab Nai Chalegi’ was launched by the UNAPxHabib University chapter on 14th July 2020. Their Domestic Violence Webinar Series comprised of 4 sessions as follows:
1st Session – 21st July 2020
The first session was on Deconstructing intimate Partner Abuse and Health Consequences of Violence on Women in Pakistan. The speaker for the session was Sadia Mehboob, who is a Lecturer of Social Development and Policy (SDP) at Habib University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar. After her Bachelor’s, she started her M.Phil in Economics and was trained in econometric data analysis, focusing on Time Series Econometrics, Applied Economics and Research.
Ms. Sadia Mehboob did her Master’s degree in Development Economics, where her concentration was in International and Regional Development, Economics of Violence and Peace and Gender Economics, from American University, Washington DC, USA .
She has been studying Gender and Development through a deeper understanding of Econometrics, Qualitative Research Methods, and Time Series Data including Forecasting related to Macroeconomic variables. Ms. Sadia has also been a visiting Lecturer at Institute of Peace and Conflict, and with the International Relations Department at University of Peshawar.
Ms. Sadia’s research interests include studying the health consequences of Intimate Partner Violence via Socio-Economic variables in the context of developing nations, especially Pakistan. She applied conditional mixed preference analysis by using decision-making power as variable and domestic risk factors surrounding a woman, which leads to domestic violence and health injuries consequently.
Sadia Mehboob will be elaborated on her research and shed light on the topic of women, violence and the health consequences of intimate partner abuse!
2nd Session – 27th July 2020
The UNAPxHabib University chapter had a conversation with Khuwaja-Sira Community to know their perspective on intimate partner abuse, struggles of community, and how the future looks for them. Funds collected will be donated to two of their donee partners Gender Interactive Alliance and Panah Shelter Home!
Notable Speakers were invited to the session as follows:
Bindiya Rana is the founding member of the Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA) and the pioneer transgender activist in the history of Pakistan. She has been working for the rights of transgender people in Pakistan since 2002. She is the petitioner for transgender rights activism in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and has been appointed the focal person for the Khawaja Sira community in Pakistan and recently has been selected as the provincial member of the committee established by the National Human Rights Commission for Implementing transgender protection bill implementation.
In the field of activism, she has developed strong allies with government departments (Social welfare department, human rights ministry, law ministry), and her organization. GIA is also the part of transgender registration monitoring committee, therefore, she has started advocacy with this department along with awareness of trans protection act 2018 among the TG/Hijra community of underprivileged areas and make them empowered to speak for their rights other than that in Karachi as per the analysis of GIA.
Zehrish Khanzadi was born and bred in Karachi. She has done BS and Commerce from Karachi University in 2012. She started her activism from her student life against stigma and discrimination. She voluntarily worked with GIA foundation Karachi, as a joint secretary and worked against HIV and aids prevention. She joined Khawajasira Society (KSS) in 2014 as a monitoring and evaluation officer from where she developed her technical skills. She has been part of many media campaigns regarding transgender issues. She has visited several foreign countries for consultations and to represent Pakistan’s trans community internationally. She gives importance to her Hijrha community and is part of the community as well to work for them in a better way. In the future, Zehrish Khanzadi sees herself as a politician so that she can work for the community and become part of the decisions made for Transgender (Khwaja sira) Community of Pakistan.
Omar Chowdri, also known as Firdous, is a student of Social Development and Policy at Habib University, specializing in queer history and theory. They have previously published queer fiction with the University of Iowa and were a part of National Geographic’s Climate Stories Pakistan project. Omar themselves are zenana and are invested in studying the community.
3rd Session – 14th August 2020
The third webinar session was with a mental health expert, to gain insight on Domestic Violence and Mental Health and the correlation for the same. Our speaker was Dr. Zainab Khan who has completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology, from the institute of clinical psychology, University of Karachi. She has been working as a consultant clinical psychologist at Aga khan health services (AKHSP), since 2017. She is also affiliated with Iqra University as an educationist and recently she has joined waqfiyaat as a telehealth practitioner.
Her work mainly revolves around adult psychiatric patients struggling with schizophrenia, Bipolar, OCD, personality disorders, and PTSD.
In her several years of practice, she has come across many cases of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. These victims are either suffering from some psychological disorder or are victimized by people who themselves have psychiatric complications.
Catch her live with us on Friday, 14th August at 8 pm!
We are also conducting a donation drive for the victims of domestic violence. The donation details are as follows:
4th Session – 16th August 2020
The second webinar series was with lawyers and activists.
Mrs. Anis Haroon is the former chairperson on the national commission on the status of women. She will be speaking on the legal guide to domestic violence.
Mrs. Anis Haroon has made a major contribution to raising levels of women rights and other social issues through her work as a journalist and social activists. Currently Member National Commission for Human Rights Pakistan for the Sindh Region. She has former Chairperson of the National Commission of Women Pakistan. She has many time appointed car taker minister of Sindh. She is one of the founder member of the Women Action Forum. She has been associated with leading women rights and human rights organizations-the Applied Socioeconomic Research Foundation, South Asia Partnership and Aurat Foundation.
Mrs. Uzma Noorani is the founder of Panah Shelter and Women’s action forum and the co-chairperson for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She will be speaking on the legal guide to domestic violence.