Fight Against Dowry - Pakistan | The Communication Initiative Network

September 2008

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Fight Against Dowry - Pakistan

Country

Pakistan

Region

Global, Africa, South Asia

Programme Summary

In January 2002, Advocates of Gender, Education and Health Information Resource Center (AGEHI), the technical wing of SACHET (Society for the Advancement of Community, Health, Education and Training), launched a five-year advocacy project called Fight Against Dowry (FAD). This project is designed to inspire the public to think about the institution and practice of dowry and dowry violence in Pakistan. To this end, dialogue is promoted through mass media and other channels; involving young people is a priority. Parents, policy-makers, and the media are other stakeholders addressed by the programme. Both men and women will be the focus of all efforts, which are designed to work toward gender equity.

Communication Strategies

Currently in its one-year pilot phase, FAD involves lobbying, communication, research, and training. Plans are underway to offer legal advice on dowry-related issues, as well. To help design and refine programme activities, a Project Advisory and Review Team (PART) has been organised. It currently includes six professionals from the fields of medicine, media, journalism, law, and education. These professionals have been asked to identify practices and solutions specific to their own communities, with the purpose of helping create a collective consensus that dowry is "a social evil".

Programme activities include:

Investigating and identifying perceptions, attitudes, practices in connection with dowry - One research focus is identifying power relationships in decision making among men and women. A central question is "who does what?", asked with an eye toward assessing gender, age, time spent, and location of the activity. In addition, a research survey to assess the perspective of young people about dowry was conducted in October, 2001; other research papers have been presented at conferences, such as "A micro study on the coverage of dowry related issues in the selected newspapers of Pakistan: Dowry and silence of the civic Society as reflected by the newspaper media."
Informing young people and students, in particular, about the social, economic, psychological, and health-related hazards associated with dowry and dowry violence - A team of volunteers conducts interactive sessions including both students and their parents at community centres, Mohallas, and in villages. Other sessions include students from different colleges and universities. In addition, awareness and sensitisation seminars involving role models, professionals from the development sector, students, and representatives from public institutions will be conducted on a quarterly basis at the provincial capitals. Other events have been organised to inform and engage young people. For instance, a poster competition involving young people as participants and judges took place in October, 2002. A 2003 calendar including contest entries was produced. Public service message hand bags were produced with slogans against dowry and violence in conjunction with National Women's Day.
Engaging the mass media in increasing awareness about these hazards - Professionals will be asked to act as pressure groups in policy-making institutions to foster an accurate portrayal of women in mass media. Specifically, a public service message/video spot aired on Pakistan television in March, 2002; various television appearances to share details about FAD have occurred and are planned. A six-episode, 15-minute television series focussing on the issue of dowry was aired on Pakistan TV from January through April 2003; the programme is broadcast every Tuesday at 8:45 a.m., Thursday at 00:45, and Friday at 17:00. The series focusses on the issue of dowry as a gender issue, explores legislative actions, encourages viewer feedback and volunteerism, supports positive attitude on the part of electronic and print media toward the issue, and provides research directions for students. In the series, more than 200 youth have spoken their minds about the issue and its effects on their lives; 8 victims have told their stories; and 36 tips have been presented to educate the viewers on different social dimensions of the issue.
Using the Internet as a means of communicating with stakeholders about the project. National, regional, and local print media will also be involved. Regular features, articles, reviews, and news about FAD will be included in English and Urdu newspapers. In addition, FAD will publish a special edition of the "FAD bulletin" (March, 2003) that will include the views of students, youth, and professionals.
Lobbying the various levels of government, including the Parliament, courts, and government ministries.
Organising and mobilising young people against dowry - An ongoing signature campaign asks students to pledge to neither take nor give dowry when they marry. Large posters accomodate 200 signatures each.

It is hoped that project outputs will be sustained through the establishment of a permanent advocacy desk at AGEHI Resource Center. This effort will involve continued advocacy and connection with the activists and platforms working for FAD.

Development Issues

Women, Gender, Youth.

Key Points

FAD will be internally evaluated five times during the project cycle (after completion of the one-year pilot phase (third quarter of 2003), midterm evaluation (third quarter of 2004), and final evaluation (after the completion of the project in 2007). Assessments will focus on the number of statements advocating for laws against dowry; the number of interactive seminars with students and parents organised to obtain support for FAD; the number of signatories on the FAD statement; sales volume (public service message bags); media coverage; the number of individuals marrying without dowry; the number of other organisations working for FAD; the number of volunteers; and the inclusion of dowry as an issue with gender implications in the national policy.

Founded in 1999, SACHET is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation grounded in gender-sensitive and environmentally friendly principles. Its mission is "to provide social development, primarily in low-income localities, by investing in health, education, poverty alleviation, income generation skills, human resource and rural development." SACHET's approach includes Information Education and Communication (IEC), advocacy, and service delivery.

Contact

Dr. Rakhshinda Perveen, Project Director
AGEHI Resource Center - SACHET
1st Floor, Al-Babar Center
Park Road, F-8 Markaz
Islamabad
Tel.: 92-51-2851605, 2851608
fad@sachet.org.pk

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