ISLAMABAD - The surge in violence against women and children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two dysfunctional commissions including KP Commission on Status of Women (KPCSW) and Child Protection Commission has put a question mark on the performance of the KP government towards eradication of violence against women and children in the province.
Both the commissions were established to minimise violence against women and children, who are considered the most vulnerable segment of society.
According to experts, both the commissions have been receiving grants from the government but are not play their due role to check violence against women and children.
While talking about the KPCSW which was formed in 2009 through an act of law to promote women’s rights and check discrimination against women; the most basic purpose of its creation was to have a regulatory monitoring body that can work with sister government organizations as well as with NGOs towards emancipation of women, equalization of opportunities including socio-economic condition among women and men.
But due to the non-serious attitude of the KP government and some alleged political meddling, the commission has become dysfunctional and is yet to officially form district bodies even after 11 years of its formulation, even though huge grants of Rs.40 million were allocated for its activities - but it has badly failed to reduce violence against women in the province.
According to Aurat Foundation, an NGO working for women rights, an increase of 20 per cent has been noticed in cases of violence against women in KP; highlighting that murder, honour killing was on top followed by other domestic violence issues.
As per details released by Aurat Foundation the decade of state impunity (2009-2019), around 778 women were killed only in 2019, showing a steady rise in violence against women. As a whole, a total of 4,504 women and girls were reportedly killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during last 11 years.
Other than addressing women issues, the commission has a mandate to conduct research on the issues related to women of KP, especially those living in remote areas of the province. The step was aimed at advising and informing government regarding women issues along with helping the legislators to concentrate on relevant issues including gender-based violence.
It would have also helped NGO sector to better understand the current status of women in the light of facts provided through research papers but unfortunately, nothing has been done in this regard and no worthwhile research has been conducted so far.
Besides the KPCSW another commission ‘Child Protection Commission’ which was established in 2011 by the then KP government is also almost dysfunctional and even the government has not yet appointed its head although the commission is getting grants for the last several years.
According to the sources in welfare department, due to political interference and despite orders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister the provincial government has failed to establish the most awaited child protection centres in 12 districts of the province.
As per details, the KP government in the fiscal year 2019-20 released Rs.40.61 million as grant for the establishment of these centres in 12 districts, but frequent political influence of some ministers remained a hurdle in its way and the huge amount was not spent until June 30, 2020.
Moreover, the source in social welfare department of KP told The Nation, that one of the main reasons of the failure of the government to take measures towards making the centres functional was ban on recruitments in all vacant posts of the commission and its district centres.
The sources claimed that KP Minister for Social Welfare Hisham Inamullah had allegedly stopped the new recruitments due to some political goals and despite orders of the CM no one dared to even discuss the issue in cabinet meetings.
For his comment, The Nation called the Minister frequently but he was not available.
It must be noted that the Child Protection Law was introduced in 2010 and the Child Protection Commission was established in 2011 in KP. A total of 12 child protection centres were planned to be set up in 12 KP districts with the help of UNICEF in 2018 but the UNICEF withdrew its support from the commission which finally led to the closing of the project.