Consultative session on gender sensitisation held

A consultative session for women on gender sensitisation in the field of alternate dispute resolution was organised here on Friday. International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary group of the World Bank, organised the consultative session under Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Project in association with New World Concepts. Leading women managers and entrepreneurs participated in the session.
The session focused on dialogue targeted at women entrepreneurs and senior women managers based in Lahore. The specific aims of the consultative session were to share lessons and benefits of alternate dispute resolution for discussion. Gender specialists from New World Concepts highlighted problems faced by women entrepreneurs and women litigants in resolving disputes in courts. They also discussed about mediation that can provide a much better option to women in settlement of disputes. Benefits such as lower financial costs as well as quicker resolution time were highlighted.
On the occasion, Saima Zuberi, IFC Associate Operations Officer, briefed the participants about the main objective of the ADR programme. She said the programme aims to institutionalise court-referred/court-annexed mediation and other forms of ADR for more speedy and cost-effective commercial dispute resolution, offering greater access to justice for entrepreneurs.
According to her, it supports the application of ADR by enhancing the legislative framework and creating more efficient judicial systems by building the capacity at courts to apply ADR. It introduces new best practices in ADR through the establishment of pilot commercial mediation centres and professional mediation by transferring skills and know-how to practitioners.
Dr Zafar Ahmad Khan Sherwani, Director Karachi Centre for Dispute Resolution (KCDR) gave details of the successful setting up of KCDR in 2007. Isfandyar Ali Khan, Associate Operations Officer, gave presentation on the IFC's Pakistan's role in institutionalising ADR/Mediation in Karachi, the successful setting up of KCDR in 2007 and plans for setting up the Lahore Centre for Dispute Resolution.