Sexual violence against women and children continues to emerge as a serious problem in Pakistani society. Reports of such cases surface on a daily basis and raise questions about the need for reforms in the criminal justice system as well as in societal attitudes. One recent case, of a mother raped on a highway near Lahore, has filled the nation with horror and anger and brought to the fore many urgent questions.
September 17, 2020
Time:
4:00 pm
Facebook Live
Why is sexual violence so prevalent in Pakistan? What reforms should be put in place to curb such incidents? How can the government, police and judiciary ensure the safety of women and children? What constitutes as fair punishment for sex offenders? How can we create awareness about such issues? What social, cultural and educational reforms are needed to transform people's mindsets?
Join us for the forty-third session of LUMS Live: Sexual Violence and Safety: Current Realities, Next Steps. Our distinguished panelists include Ms. Tahira Abdullah - Human Rights Activist, Ms. Mahira Khan - Actor and UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Shehzad Roy - Singer and Founder, Zindagi Trust and Mr. Zarrar Khuhro - Journalist and Socio-Political Analyst.
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2020
Time: 4:00 pm (PST)
Moderated by Mehreen Zahra-Malik, the session will be broadcast live via the LUMS Facebook page. Please click here to listen to our panelists as they discuss issues around sexual violence and explore the necessary reforms, at the individual, social and government levels, that are needed to make Pakistan a safer place for women and children.
During the session, please use the live stream's comments bar to ask questions or email them at ask@lums.edu.pk.
After the session, kindly share your feedback and suggest future topics for discussion/guests here.
Join us for this important conversation!
Profiles of Panelists
Ms. Tahira Abdullah - Human Rights Activist
Ms. Abdullah is a Pakistani human rights activist, social scientist and supporter of gender equality. She is a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and the Women's Action Forum. Ms. Abdullah works on a voluntary basis for numerous trusts, policy groups and academic bodies.
Ms. Mahira Khan - Actor and UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador
Ms. Khan is a leading Pakistani actor, who made her film debut with the critically acclaimed Bol directed by Shoaib Mansoor, which went on to become one of Pakistan's highest grossing films of all time. She has since starred in a number of successful TV dramas and films and gone on to become a household name with the largest following on social media in Pakistan. Ms. Khan's performance in Shoaib Mansoor's Verna, where she played the lead, garnered tremendous praise and appreciation from the world over. This was a small film with a big message and according to the New York Times “The film – which overcame an initial ban imposed because of its subject matter – (…) inspired Pakistani women to tap into the spirit of the viral #MeToo campaign to expose sexual harassment and create their own public platform for victims and their supporters. With the Pakistani film industry struggling to survive and wary of issue-oriented projects, the film’s release (…) provided a timely opportunity to talk about a difficult topic.” Ms. Khan has actively spoken on social justice issues on many platforms. In 2019, she was announced as the very first Pakistani National Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR.
Mr. Shehzad Roy - Singer and Founder, Zindagi Trust
Mr. Roy received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2005 for his sociopolitical music and his contribution to the field of education reform and the Sitara-e-Eisaar for his contribution to the relief efforts for the earthquake in Kashmir. In 2013, he did a TV show called Chal Parha in which he highlighted, among other issues in education, the menace of students being beaten up by teachers. The National Assembly recognised his efforts and passed a law criminalising corporal punishment. In 2018, he received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his work in education reform through advocacy, especially for his work to integrate Child Protection into the provincial curricula of Sindh and Balochistan. He is also currently serving as the UNODC ambassador for Pakistan and has represented Pakistan at the UN Convention in Vienna in 2018. Through Zindagi Trust, Mr. Roy has advocated successfully to change education policy in Sindh as well as on the national level.
Mr. Zarrar Khuhro - Journalist and Socio-Political Analyst
Mr. Khuhro is a current affairs commentator and analyst. He is the co-host of Zara Hut Kay, along with Mubashir Zaidi and Wusatullah Khan—a current affairs programme on Dawn News. He also writes a regular column for Dawn. Prior to joining the Dawn group, he was the Magazine Editor for The Express Tribune. Mr. Khuhro has worked extensively in both print and electronic media.
Ms. Mehreen Zahra-Malik - Journalist
Ms. Zahra-Malik is Senior Editor for Arab News, one of the largest English-language newspapers in the Middle East. She has previously served as Pakistan correspondent for Reuters, Deputy Editor at The News, and as the News Editor of The Friday Times. Her reportage has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Hindu, Indian Express, Tehelka, Dawn, Express Tribune, Daily Times, The Friday Times and others. She has an MA in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
