In Pakistan the realization of women’s rights is not simply a matter of discourse, it is a movement that should be mainstreamed and encouraged to prevent violence against women and children. The need for a woman’s basic right to be respected as a human being has been openly acknowledged but not practiced.
APWA Punjab’s Legal Committee gives free legal aid to needy women litigants. This includes legal counseling and dispute resolution, filing and defending cases/litigation in courts. The legal team at APWA also redresses the physical and psychological violence and distress suffered by aggrieved women.
APWA Punjab organizes seminars, workshops and lectures for women of all ages and from all social backgrounds. The series of lectures highlight several laws and policies to address various forms of violence against women, like forced marriages, acid attacks, sexual harassment and unfair inheritance disputes. The purpose of these legal awareness campaigns is to identify the main laws that affect womens’ status in the home and workplace, and to ensure that women are aware of their legal rights. Simultaneously, APWA provides legal remedies that are available to eliminate discrimination towards women.
APWA Legal Aid Cell also provides comprehensive support to all constitutional and organizational conflicts, as well as legal and quasi-legal matters faced by APWA Punjab. The Legal Aid Cell monitors all legal aspects of projects under APWA Punjab.
There is a certain protocol that needs to be followed in order to obtain free legal from the APWA Legal Cell. The first step is to fill an applicant form which requires preliminary information. This needs to be submitted to the concerned Head of the Legal Cell, who further advises the applicant. For more details, contact APWA HQ.