PAKISTAN: New radio series on 'honour' killings

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

ISLAMABAD, 4 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - The Pakistan chapter of the UK-based international NGO, Oxfam, has recently begun broadcasting a radio series aimed at raising public awareness of honour killings. In general, women fall victim to a variety of assorted crimes carried out under the common name of 'honour' across the country, argue rights activists.

"This series of feature programmes, to be aired twice a week, will cover different aspects of the 'honour' killing issue through very interesting and moving stories," Farhana Faruqi Stocker, Oxfam's country representative, said in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, noting it would highlight the role of government bodies, civil society, traditional community leadership and the public in eradicating the practice over the next three months.

According to statistics compiled by Pakistan's leading rights body, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), though different names were used for the crime in various parts of the country, a total of 579 people, 546 of them women, fell victim to the practice of honour killing in 2004.

Oxfam aims to reduce social acceptance of such killings through a six-year campaign aiming at significantly reducing the number of women killed under the banner of 'honour'.

The twenty-minute programme series, prepared in both the Urdu and Sindhi language, will be broadcast from four stations of the state-run 'Radio Pakistan' in Sindh and Balochistan province.

"Through the whole duration of three month programmes, listeners from respective areas will be invited in each episode to provide feedback about the issue and the programme," Dr Arif Mehmood, manager of the campaign entitled 'We Can End Honour Killing', said.

The campaign is part of Oxfam's South Asia regional campaign to end violence against women that involves more than 400 civil society groups and organisations in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, the drive focuses on domestic violence while in Pakistan and Nepal, the emphasis is on 'honour' killing and the trafficking of women and girls respectively.

"Oxfam's campaign covers over 30 geographical locations in some 23 districts across the country where a high incidence rate of 'honour' killing has been documented and reported," said Mehmood.

Launched earlier this year in March from six districts of Balochistan, Oxfam intends to further expand the 'We Can End Honour Killing' campaign in 17 districts of Punjab, Sindh and North West Frontier Province (NWFP) later in November.

[ENDS]