Fauzia Viqar

Fauzia Viqar is a Pakistani human rights activist with a focus on women's rights. She served as the first chairperson of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women from 2014 to 2019.

Education

Viqar has a master's degree in Political Science from the McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.[1]

Career and activism

Viqar worked as the advocacy director for the non-profit organisation Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre from 2010 to 2014.[2] Her advocacy efforts at the organisation included work on honour killings and domestic violence. She was a co-author of the civil society-endorsed shadow report titled Obstructing Progress: Growing Talibanisation & Poor Governance in Pakistan presented for Pakistan's periodic review of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women in 2013.[3]

Since August 2019, she has worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the consultancy firm Rah Center for Management & Development.[4]

Punjab Commission on the Status of Women

In February 2014, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act.[5] The Act provided for the establishment of a commission to work on women empowerment in the province.[6] The commission's mandate includes review of laws, policies, and programs with the mission to improve the socioeconomic development of women and to end all forms of discrimination against women.[5]

Viqar was appointed as the first chairperson of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) on 8 March 2014.[7] Under her leadership, the PCSW developed a gender management information system, started publishing annual gender parity reports for the province, and launched a telephone helpline for women to report abuse.[8][9][10] During Viqar's tenure, the commission also launched a smartphone app to help women report incidents of harassment to the police department.[11]

The Women Development Department of the Government of Punjab, which is the public body overseeing the PCSW, served a one-month notice of termination to Viqar to remove her as PCSW chairperson on 21 May 2019.[12]

In 2023 she was appointed as the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment at Workplace.[13]

References
  1. "Fauzia Viqar, 16 Days Advisory Committee". 16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  2. Naqvi, Hassan. "Punjab's lioness defends women across the country". The Express Tribune.
  3. "Obstructing Progress" (PDF). UN Treaty Body Database. 2013-01-25.
  4. Janjuha-Jivraj, Shaheena. "One Isn't Done - Pakistan Quotas Shift Education For Gender Leadership". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  5. Manan, Abdul. "Law passed: Punjab to have commission on status of women". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  6. "The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Act 2014". punjablaws.gov.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  7. Burney, Moneeza (2014-12-07). "A woman who focuses on 'one step forward'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  8. "Punjab, KP officials meet for women empowerment". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  9. "Gender Parity Report shows positive trends in Punjab | Pakistan Today". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  10. "Gainful opportunities: Commission for Status of Women to inform callers about govt jobs". The Express Tribune. 2015-10-21.
  11. "Pakistani province launches app for women to report harassment". Reuters. 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  12. "PCSW head's removal draws activists' ire". Dawn.
  13. "Fauzia Viqar named ombudsperson on women's harassment". Pakistan Today. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
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