ISLAMABAD: Federal Ombudsman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi said the Parliament passed the Protection of Women from Harassment at Workplace Act 2010 to implement the relevant provisions in the constitution and ensure equal opportunities for men and women and the right to earn. living without fear and any discrimination.
He was launching a webinar here on Wednesday on protecting women from harassment in the workplace, organized under the auspices of the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA). It was attended by members of AOA, OIC Ombudsmen Association (OICOA) and Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO) in addition to human rights practitioners and activists.
Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi, who is also the chairman of the 47-strong Association of Ombudsmen in Asia, said that Pakistan’s constitution upholds the principle of equality and dignity along with the express prohibition of discrimination based on gender in all spheres of national life. He further stated that the adoption of the relevant anti-harassment law in 2010 was followed by two more Acts of Parliament in 2020 and 2022, which expand the scope of its legislation to men, women and transgender people. Enforcement of women’s property rights was also included in the purview of these legislative provisions, he added. He said the objective of the webinar is to share Pakistan’s experiences, best practices and information exchange to promote gender equality and the right to decent work for all.
Later, Ms. Fauzia Viqar, Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (FOSPAH) also gave a presentation on the scope of work and operational framework of FOSPAH which was established in 2011. She said that FOSPAH plays a vital role in upholding the constitutional provision of equality and dignity along with striving to create an environment free of harassment and discrimination. She further added that Pakistan has the distinction of being the only country to have a dedicated ombudsman institution to deal with the issue of women’s empowerment and denial of their rights, thus highlighting the need for the support of more than 49% of the population. The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer session where international participants asked Pakistani questions about Pakistan’s experiences in these areas and asked to share best practices to move forward.
Organized against the backdrop of International Women’s Day, the webinar is of particular importance to Member States that are trying to overcome the same challenges, especially in terms of women’s empowerment and protection. So far, Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat has received almost 75 confirmations to participate in the online webinar. Nominations received from AOA members included the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Japan, Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Korea, Turkey, and Indonesia, in addition to provincial ombudsmen in Pakistan and representatives of Wafaqi Mohtasib regional offices.
