Aawaz-II KP 5th Provincial Forum Meeting & Action Planning

29 March 2021, Peshawar

The fifth meeting of Aawaz-II Provincial Forum in KP was held on Monday, 29 March 2021 at Peshawar, hosted by the foundation and British Council.  The meeting  also addressed the agenda of Provincial Forum action planning on Aawaz – II core themes of Child Labour, Early/Forced Marriages, and, Gender-based Violence. The discussion framed on understanding the current context of these issues and challenges faced on-ground, while also putting forward key recommendations for counter strategies.  The meeting was chaired by Dr. Riffat Sardar Chair, KPCWS and co-chaired by Mr. Ijaz Khan, Deputy Chief, KP Child Protection & Welfare Commission. Senior government representatives including Ms. Rukhshanda Naz, Member Aawaz-II PF-KP & Ombudsperson-KP Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace and officials from KP labour department, social welfare as well civil society also participated.  Due to Covid-19 conditions, this meeting was a hybrid arrangement.

 Drawing on the extensive expertise and experiences of the respected members, the discussion identified priorities and pathways to shape an action plan for the Provincial Forum. Timely advocacy for budget and resource allocation, need for robust evidence based data, impactful messaging in awareness campaigns and engagement of civil society in government district committees were some of the key recommendations given.