SHADE promoting
human rights
Society
for Human Advancement and Disadvantaged Empowerment
International
Human Rights Day
December
10,2012
REPORT
Prepared
by
Ms.
Farzana Naz
INTRODUCTION
International Human Rights Day is celebrated the world over
on December 10 every year. Different organizations plan different activities to
mark the importance of the day and to sensitize people to respect human rights.
This was started in 1948 by the United Nations.
The Society for Human Advancement and Disadvantaged
Empowerment (SHADE) is a non government, not for profit organization. It
focuses human rights.
The area we focus currently is district Jaffarabad
of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The area has a
tribal set up where violation of human rights is a mundane activity at every
level. Women have very low status in the society here and they are considered
below men. Violence against women is socially accepted. Women are not involved
in the process of decision making even at the households.
The SHADE organization celebrates International Human rights
day regularly in collaboration with its partners. The organization celebrated
International Human Rights 2012 in collaboration with its Partner Shirkat Gah. A dialogue on “The
Role of Women in Decision Making at the Households” was organized. People
belonging to different fields of life participated and they included teachers,
students, media men and members from community development organizations.
The main purpose of the dialogue activity was to awareness
to Community Based Organizations and other bodies about the importance of the
day and to sensitize people specially Community Based Organizations about the
role of women in decision making human right that we must respect at every
level be it the household or the organization or institution.
Before the activity pre-assessment forms were filled by the
community. The form contained 10 questions concerning women rights and the role
of women in decision making at households.
A post-post assessment was conducted after a week of the
activity to measure the impact of the activity on the concerned community and
to plan for the future activities concerning the topic.
Guest speakers were invited to speak on the occasion and
sensitize people about the importance of the day and to respect human rights
and to start this from their households. Mr. Faqeer
Muhammad Chairman Queen Beatrix House School System made a speech in the
beginning. He said” violations of human rights have long past history and now
it’s due to non-governmental organizations there is reduction in such
violations, due to orthodox traditions and tribal society the status of women
is very low, they are not allowed even to take part in minor decision making at
the households, to get progress and prosperity we have to bring positive
changes in the status of women.
After the speech of Mr. Faqueer
Muhammad Chairman Queen Beatrix House School system, Mr. Noor
Hassan a Social Organizer of Society for Human Advancement and Disadvantaged
Empowerment SHADE floated different questions from an already prepared
questionnaire to start discussions among the participants on the topic. The
participants took keen interest in the discussion. They said women have low
status because we have male dominant society and tribal set up here. Mr. Abdul
Aziz news reporter said women have to come forward to get their human rights as
they accept violence against them without raising any voice against it. Mr. Asif of Dia Women Development
Organization said human rights are the basic requirement for the growth of a
person and governments are responsible to provide freedoms and ensure provision
of these rights, he said it is the responsibility of Non-governmental
organizations and Community Development Organizations to sensitize government
line departments about the basic human rights so that they could respect these
rights. Ms. Nargis a student of 8th class
said I will ask my father to involve my mother in decision making now on, I
will ask my father to give me permission to continue my studies. Ms. Rukhsana of Sawera Women Development Organization said not involving
women in decision making, at any level whatever it is either it is household or
government institutions, is a human rights violation because both women and men
are equal and they have equal rights and being a men or women it is our
responsibility to respect our human rights, she said it is the responsibility
of the governments to implement universal declaration of human rights and
ensure that human rights according to the constitution of the country are
respected by the government line departments. Mr. Nisar
Ahmed a young farmer from Nawra village Union Council
Sorha said our parents are not educated and they did
not give us education and farmer ship is our profession we have been doing for
generations, we do not know much about human rights, we do not involve women in
the process of decision making at households at any level, but when a women
gets very old say about 75-80 or so on than sometimes our male members consult
them but again this process is not open and even than the old aged women cannot
give suggestion freely. He asked the SHADE organization to arrange this sort of
activity at the Nawra village and involve farmers.
The dialogue started at 11:30 AM and lasted for 2 and a half
hour. About 25 people participated in the dialogue including both male and
female participants (07 female, 18 male). More than 35 female and male students
of higher and middle classes participated in the event as observers (20 female
students, 15 male students).
Mr. Rashid Mehmood Assistant
Manager Advocacy program Shirkat Gah
also participated in the event as a guest. He expressed his views on the
occasion and asked few questions from the female students to sensitize them
about human rights and about the importance of international human rights day.
PRE_ASSESMENT
A pre-assessment was conducted by the organization at Union
council 111 of Usta Muhammad where the activity took
place. The pre-assessment was conducted one week before the activity.
The main purpose of the pre-assessment was to measure the
level of awareness in community of the concerned area about the role of women
in decision making at households. An easy to understand questionnaire was
developed by the SHADE organization in easy to understand language having 10
questions about women rights and the role of women in the process of decision
making. In total 50 questionnaires were distributed among people of different
backgrounds (25 female, 25 male).
Out of 50 assessment forms 52% say No in response to whether
women be allowed in the process of decision making at the households while 40%
say yes and 8% ticked both the answers (Question No.7). In response to Question
No. 6 Is it violation of human rights not to involve women in decision making
65% say no 35% say yes. In response to Question No. 3 Are Women and men equal
in status 61% say No while 28% say yes and 11% ticked both the answers.
The assessment forms were filled by the farmers,
Shopkeepers, teachers, students and people from Community Based Organizations.
POST
ASSESSMENT
More or less the same people were invited at the dialogue
activity on December 10,2012 at Queen Beatrix House
School System Union Council 111 Usta Muhammad. The
participants were sensitized about women rights and the role of women in
decision making at the households by the guest speakers and other participants.
After one week of the activity the same forms we used for
the pre-assessment were given to the same participants of the dialogue activity
to measure the level of awareness among the people after the activity and there
was overall 2% change observed among the people who answered positively to give
women an active role in the process of decision making at the households.
To bring positive difference in the attitudes of people
towards women rights and towards involving women in the process of decision
making at the households and to measure the long term impacts of the activity
we need to engage people continually in such activities and for this purpose
the SHADE organization has planned to organize community sessions for the
promotion of women rights and the role of women in decision making at the
households. The organization will keep updating Shirkat
Gah for the progress and impacts of these activities
through quarterly reports.
RESULTS
•
Most of the participants were not familiar with the
importance of the day, they got sensitized.
•
The participants became aware of the role of women in
decision making at the households and at other levels in life.
OBSERVATIONS
•
People in general, educational institutions are not well
aware of international human rights day and Universal declaration of Human
Rights.
•
People at villages like to be sensitized about human rights
and they would respect these rights if proper non formal education programs are
started at the villages.
THE SHORT
TERM IMPACTS OF THE ACTIVITY
•
Mr. Faqeer Muhammad Chairman Queen
Beatrix House School System announced that his two schools one at Usta Muhammad and Other at Gandakha
will celebrate international Human Rights Day on December 10 every year from
now on. He asked the SHADE organization to work with his staff to prepare a
short syllabus for his schools to sensitize students about human rights.
•
Ms. Nargis a student of 8th
class will mobilize his father to give her mother participation in decision
making at her house.
•
Mr. Nisar a young farmer asked the
SHADE organization to conduct a sensitization session at Nawra
village in Union Council Sorha.
•
The participants first time got sensitization about women’s
role in decision making at the households as men’s dominant role at the
households is socially acceptable here.
CONCLUSION
The International Human Rights Day was observed by the SHADE
organization at a local private school. The participants of the activity very
keenly discussed the role of women in decision making process at households.
The activity will leave profound effect on the lives of participants.
Annexure
A
QUESTIONAIRE
•
WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
•
WHAT IS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
•
WHAT IS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
•
NOT INVOLVING WOMEN IN THE PROCESS OF DECISION MAKING, IS IT
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
•
HOW CAN WE BETTER INVOLVE WOMEN IN THE PROCESS OF DECISION
MAKING AT OUR HOUSEHOLDS?
•
WHAT SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPECT AND PROTEC
HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN?
•
WHAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STATE IN PROTECTING
HUMAN RIGHTS?
•
HOW TO STOP VIOLATIONS OF WOMEN RIGHTS IN JAFFARABAD
DISTRICT?
•
HOW TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS IN JAFFARABAD DISTRICT?
•
WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS IN THE
PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
Annexure
B
Invitation Card
Annexure C
Pictures