PESHAWAR, May 26: After its failure to launch Gender Reform Action Plan in its original shape, the social welfare and women development department has decided to include it in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) as a two-year project.

“The social welfare and women development department is going to introduce GRAP as a two-year scheme,” said Imrana Wazir, a consultant of Asian Development Bank, at a policy-dialogue organised by the Citizens Commission for Human Development on “Gender Mainstreaming in the Media — Gender Reform Action Plan.”

She added that Rs50 million had been allocated for various projects for the mainstreaming and empowerment of women.

The consultants at the dialogue, who worked with Asian Development Bank that provided technical assistance in formation of Grap, said that the plan was delayed by government for various reasons. “It was not yet presented to the cabinet but simply shrunk into a two-year ADP project owing to resistance from the finance department,” they added.

Owing to lack of funds, the government decided to appoint a focal person at key departments like finance, law and social welfare and women development instead of setting up gender cell at every department. The focal person would review policies and budget.

The Grap was aimed at enhancing capacity of government departments in improving the status of women in the context of gender and governance. The previous provincial government of Muttahida Majli-i-Amal delayed approval of provincial Grap for about five years on the pretext of shortage of sustainable finances for the programme.

“The present government after reviewing the original Grap, keeping in mind the prevailing situation in the province and re-costing exercise, finally decided to include it as a two-year ADP project with estimated cost of Rs50 million,” an official of the social welfare and women development department present at the dialogue said.

Rukhshinda Naaz, a women rights activist, criticised the government for ignoring women of the conflict-hit areas like those of tribal region. She said that women and girls were the worst affected victims of natural disasters and conflicts yet their voice was stifled. Nor these women were contacted by government to come forward and speak of violence against them neither the women rights’ groups were allowed to reach these women in the conflict-hit areas.

“War has crippled women and affected them mentally. Protection is major issue during conflict. So far there is no policy regarding women and girls during a conflict or disaster,” she said.

Saima Munir, senior programme officer of Aurat Foundation, stressed the need for serious consideration by the government to implement Grap. She said that women development department was attached with social welfare thus it didn’t give due attention to women issues.

She said that government needed to review the rules of business and address issues related to women at every department. She said that instead of strengthening gender studies department, it was dissolved. The government needs to come up with gender sensitive or gender neutral policies. It can review the existing policies or form new policy for women if it has data but unfortunately there is no gender segregated data of every sector with the government,” she said.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/27/2010