Training workshop held for journalists

White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan, in collaboration with the British High Commission organised a training workshop for journalists on the issues related to gender equity and equality in Pakistan, here on Saturday. It was the first module of a series of three such workshops and the remaining two sessions would be held in next two months, the organisers of the workshop said.
Country Director of White Ribbon Campaign Pakistan, Omer Aftab said that 49.7 percent of the world population is comprised of women and at least one in every three women was beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in their lifetimes. According to UNFPA State of World Population Report 2008, over 60 percent of the world's one billion poorest people are women and girls, two third of 960 million adults around the world who cannot read are women or girls while 70 percent of children who do not go to school are girls, he added.
He pointed out that the White Ribbon One Million Signature Campaign had been launched to celebrate 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign from November 25, 2011 till December 10, 2011 to show solidarity with the women who are victims of violence in any form and to show men's pledge to end violence against women.
"To stop violence against women, it is not sufficient to crate awareness about women rights among women but it is necessary that men join with women to encourage norms of consent, respect and gender equality to challenge the unfair power relations which leads to violence and promote gender roles based on non-violence and gender justice, Aftab said.
He announced the launch of nation-wide journalists' engagement programme on gender sensitisation and violence against women and establishing White Ribbon Media Alumni. He said the White Ribbon is a project of Women's Empowerment Group and Vision 2015, working with men and boys to stop women's human rights violations. During the daylong training workshop a detailed presentation was given about the gender equity and equality in Pakistan. The participants discussed the state of violence against women in the country and also suggested some possible solutions.