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Women sell handicrafts on 13 July 2021 at the Peace Caf\u00e9 in Thatta city, Pakistan. The caf\u00e9, a women\u2019s gathering place, was established with the support of UN Women. Photo: UN Women\/Anam Abbas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWomen and men play a multi-faceted role in peacebuilding. Violent extremism is a phenomenon that impacts everyone and men and women are equally vulnerable to being affected and recruited by extremist ideologies,\u201d says Durr e Maknoon, Director-General Outreach of\u00a0National Counter Terrorism Authority, Pakistan<\/a>\u00a0(NACTA).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Director-General of Outreach Ms. Durr e Maknoon, NACTA. Photo: Courtesy of NACTA<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recognizing this, UN Women Pakistan has partnered with National Counter Terrorism Authority Pakistan (NACTA) to educate government officials on how women can support or challenge extremism, and to promote peace and tolerance among women and youths. NACTA serves as the Government of Pakistan\u2019s focal institute to address rising extremism through policy initiatives and engagement of youth and women in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In February-March 2022, UN Women and NACTA jointly ran a\u00a0national media campaign<\/a>\u00a0called Dil Walon ka Des (The Nation of Big-hearted People), to highlight female role models and women\u2019s role in promoting peace. This aspect was particularly important in the context of \u00a0Pakistan, women, and girls are restricted to the margins of society, limiting women\u2019s meaningful participation in public and political spheres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The partnership with NACTA is part of UN Women\u2019s wide-ranging work \u2013 in religion, culture, women\u2019s political participation, and other fields \u2013 to help create a more peaceful society in Pakistan by increasing women\u2019s participation and leadership in the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pastor Ghazala at Trinity Church in Karachi. Photo: UN Women Pakistan<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a program funded by the European Union, UN Women Pakistan engaged a diverse group of female faith leaders to promote harmony within and between faiths. Faith leaders are uniquely positioned to influence families and communities and disrupt the narratives of violent extremists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is a lot of misconception [amongst faith leaders] and many of the teachings are taken out of context. As a faith leader and scholar, it is important that teachings are imparted without discrimination,<\/strong>\u201d says Mughisa Khalid, Principal Jamia Darul Islam lilbnat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is in line with the\u00a0Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace,<\/a> and Security\u00a0in October 2021 which emphasized investing in local women peacebuilders to increase women\u2019s participation in peacebuilding. For many faith leaders, this initiative was their first close interaction with women from other faiths. They jointly conducted community engagement sessions in Karachi and also visited each other\u2019s places of worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sister Ghazala, the first female-registered pastor in Sindh province and founder of Pakistan\u2019s first church for transgenders, said the program \u201cprovided me the opportunity to sit together with my fellow faith leaders from different religions to address the societal stigma that \u2026 prohibits peaceful coexistence.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n UN Women Pakistan has been making use of\u00a0several avenues<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 including sports, cultural activities like art, music, theater, and youth exchange programs \u2014 to increase dialogue among diverse communities and to allow youths to express themselves creatively, thus negating the divisive narratives of extremist groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On 12 March 2022, UN Women and Sporty Enterprises, a private firm, organized a field hockey tournament that gave female players an opportunity to question stereotypes about people of different ethnicities and backgrounds. More than 120 women and girls from Quetta, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Lahore, and others cities joined the Star\u2019s Women\u2019s Hockey Tournament in Sukkur city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Farwa Jafferi, 18, who played for the UN Women supported hockey tournament, poses by the sports ground in Sukkur, Pakistan, on 12 March 2022. Photo: UN Women\/Hassan Ali Abbasi<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are getting to polish our skills, but also learn so much about each other\u2019s culture<\/strong>,\u201d says Karima, 18, representing the Hazara community from Quetta. \u201cWhether it\u2019s the Sindhi language or a few \u2018bhangra\u2019 moves from the Punjabis or the fact that hospitality is not just a trademark of the Pashtun culture, but Sindhis also \u2013 this experience has been eye-opening<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe bond over our love for the game. We all come from <\/strong>different backgrounds and areas. But hockey, and this tournament, have given us a chance to come together on a platform. We are getting to learn from our seniors who are national team players and have also represented Pakistan at the international level<\/strong>,\u201d says Sobia Abbas, 21 from Nawabshah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Karima, who played in the UN Women-supported hockey tournament, poses by the sports ground in Sukkur city, Pakistan, on 12 March 2022. Photo: UN Women\/Hassan Ali Abbasi<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sobia\u2019s response is a testimony to how sports have the power to engage young girls actively and meaningfully. Not only do sports promote team building, but also involve mentoring and building relationships that can help youth, especially women, form a bond with each other. Girls are provided with a platform to become closer to each other and share their experiences, thoughts, and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the tournament, UN Women arranged for the players to meet with role models including Shanadana Gulzar, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan, and Muniba Mazari, National Ambassador for UN Women Pakistan. There, many of the players tearfully spoke about their journey. In Pakistan, girls often are discouraged from playing sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was a lot of resistance from my family initially, and to this day there still exists some tensions,<\/strong>\u201d said Sidra Hakim, one of the players. \u201cIt took a lot of convincing and tears but the first person whose consent I was able to gain was my mother. She was instrumental in appeasing concerns from the male members of the family. This just shows how empowered women can influence those around them, and change mindsets<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The winning team, from Lahore city, poses at the 12 March 2022 hockey tournament in Sukkur city, Pakistan. Also shown are the tournament organizers, UN Women Team, and Sporty Enterprises. Photo: UN Women\/Hassan Ali Abbasi<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fahim Shad is an anti-extremism activist and filmmaker who heads\u00a0Mehrdar Art and Production\u00a0along with his sister Parveen Naz. They are based in Lyari, an area of widespread ethnic, political, and militant violence fomented by criminal and terrorist syndicates. Lyari has many ethnicities, sects, and religious communities and is known for its rich cultural history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In collaboration with Mehrdar Art and Production, in 2021 UN Women helped female filmmakers disseminate short films and documentaries that provided an alternative to the stereotypes used by violent groups by depicting the diversity of communities and of the social and cultural experiences of women in Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shehla Raza, Provincial Minister of Sindh for Women Development, presented a lifetime achievement award to Laal Khatoon and Rozina Naz for their representation of women in the documentaries at the International Women\u2019s Day 2022. Photo: Fahim Shad<\/p>\n\n\n\n Female filmmakers learning the ropes to shoot in December 2021. Photo: Fahim Shad<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSupport of the art of such women not only increases their representation but also strengthens their role in communities and builds social cohesion in areas where women have largely been marginalized due to extremist elements<\/strong>,\u201d says Fahim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Masooma Murad, one of the participating filmmakers, said: \u201cPakistan is usually showcased as a country facing terrorism and violence. However, there is a positive side of Pakistan which usually goes unexplored or untouched \u2013 the stories of resilience, of social bonds and of all the hard work of Pakistani women and men are doing<\/strong>.\u201d \u00a0The discussion with communities following the screenings highlighted how filmmaking has the power to amplify the voices of women and minorities and challenge gender stereotypes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Said another filmmaker, Maria Rafeeq, \u201cIf women and girls are stepping out of their homes in the pursuit of their dreams, getting an education or changing the patriarchal mindset, I believe that\u2019s peace in its essence<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n UN Women staff members visit female farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan at Soni Jawari, Center for Public Policy on 18 February 2022. Mehnaz Parveen can be seen in the first row, right corner. Photo: Ishar Hunzai<\/p>\n\n\n\n Evidence suggests that enhancing a woman\u2019s income enhances the welfare of her family, as well as her role in decision-making in the household and in the community. Lack of financial autonomy, violation of inheritance rights, and exclusion from decision-making processes is all forms of structural violence that promote wider conflict \u2013 with more or less similar regional variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAn empowered woman is likely to take a leading role in addressing rising conflict, as well as respond to crises situations like the impact of climate change and natural resources<\/strong>,\u201d says Mehnaz Parveen, a consultant who is working with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan on green initiatives to economically empower women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through\u00a0Soni Jawari<\/a>, a public policy think tank, UN Women is supporting a women-only marketplace in the Gilgit-Baltistan region that would expand market access for women and create a safe space for them to earn incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gilgit-Baltistan has remained largely peaceful; however, some violence along sectarian lines has been witnessed. \u201cSocietal and cultural norms restrict women\u2019s access to basic rights and services, and these inequalities are aggravated in conflict and crisis situations<\/strong>,\u201d says Mehnaz Parveen. \u201cAt the basic decision-making forums, we will find that women are missing. A key step forward is to capacitate and empower local women economically and socially.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afghan female leaders and human rights defenders speak to reporters at an event, New Chapter in Afghanistan: Ensuring Support of Afghan Women & Girls, held in the Trusteeship Council at the United Nations Headquarters on 21 October 2021. Photo: UN Women\/Amanda Voisard<\/p>\n\n\n\n The takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan has had a ripple effect in Pakistan where it saw an influx of displaced Afghans crossing the borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In response, UN Women Pakistan is participating in the\u00a0Women\u2019s Peace and Humanitarian Fund,<\/a>\u00a0a United Nations and civil society partnership, to support local civil society organizations to promote socioeconomic recovery and leadership of Afghan women, including those displaced. The project, to be implemented in Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, is also expected to strengthen women\u2019s rights and women-led organizations that help displaced Afghan women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the support of the Government of Norway, UN Women Pakistan has also taken concrete steps to engage women and girls to contribute to and have a greater influence in peace processes by engaging in Track II diplomacy between Afghanistan and Pakistan since 2021. It has fostered regional connectivity by engaging prominent women from civil society organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan to ensure their experiences of conflict are heard, and their needs are highlighted for humanitarian action. This women-to-women contact allowed women to establish cross-border linkages, identify acute challenges, learn from each other on effective strategies to adopt in times of conflict and humanitarian crises, and most importantly charter pathways for further collaboration and advocate for peace in the region.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistani women peacekeepers in the audience at the National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad, where Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres delivered an address on the topic of peacekeeping. Photo: UN Photo\/Mark Garten<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pakistan is the sixth-largest contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping forces, and also one of the first countries to deploy \u201cfemale engagement teams\u201d to Congo in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMissions led by women peacekeepers are speedy and effective where the focus is on seeking nuanced information from affected individuals and groups and finding local solutions<\/strong>,\u201d says Dr. Farah Naz, Assistant Professor at the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Director](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-06\/pk-Durre-Maknoon-NACTA-750px.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nEngaging Women Community Leaders and Networks to Promote Peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pastor](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-06\/pk-Ghazala-Parveen-1679px.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nPromoting respect for diversity through sports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-06\/pk-Farwa-Jafferi-Hckey-Player-1679px.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nPromoting Diversity Through Films<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Shehla](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-05\/pk-06-Award-1679px.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nEmpowering Women in Gilgit-Baltistan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Group](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-06\/pk-IIzhar-Hunzai-980px.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nPromoting cross-border peace and stability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"4](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-05\/pk-09-Afghan-Women-51628778128_d6d36d00f4_k.jpg1679px.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\nGender-Sensitive Peacekeeping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pakistani](\"https:\/\/asiapacific.unwomen.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-05\/pk-10-Peacekeepers-1679px.jpg\")
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