The Culture and Conflict Project – Forum with Policy Makers Report – PAIMAN

PAIMAN have been engaging and advocating with policy makers since 2011 regarding inclusion of women in policy frameworks, decision making and implementation pertaining to peace, security and disaster. As a result Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa with the active support of PAIMAN now has gender-responsive Relief and Recovery (R&R) policy as compared to other PDMAs in Pakistan. However, there still arise serious issues of implementation when it comes to R&R in post conflict/ disasters and emergencies situations. Under Conflict and Culture Stream of GCRF Hub an orientation and policy impact and advocacy forum with Members of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, government officials of KP Disaster Management Authority and elected representative of local government was organized on May 18th, 2023 at Serena Hotel Islamabad. The aim was to engage and sensitize them regarding the impact of conflict, violent extremism and displacement on education, health and livelihood of women and girls and ways of addressing these issues. In her opening remarks, Mossarat Qadeem Executive Director of PAIMAN gave an introduction of the initiative and said this five year research project has built links between economic development which is gender focused, and peacebuilding. In Pakistan communities of women and men in remote and rural locations, have engaged with culturally valuable practices, to generate sustainable incomes. In developing nations sustainability of incomes and livelihoods is closely linked to indicators of peaceful and just societies. In Pakistan, insatiable and fragile regions, and their communities, are often seen as independent and distant from the centre. These multiple exclusions by geography, gender, and informal sector working often leave behind those communities who are engaged in traditional practices of making which have long histories. This multi year project in South Asia, funded by United Kingdom Research and Innovation, is based at London School of Economics and Middlesex University. This report details what happened at the forum.
PAIMAN Trust (2023) The Culture and Conflict Project: Forum with Policy Makers Report