Gender Based Violence (GBV) reduction in Pakistan through increased justice system capacity

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Project Overview: The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a project to: increase accountability and improve the handling of gender-based violence (GBV) cases in Pakistan’s judicial system. The project will begin with a pilot project in Punjab and then expand to be a national program. This project will increase accountability and improve the handling of GBV cases throughout the entire criminal justice case process. The specific objectives are to increase reporting of GBV cases, use of survivor-centered approaches in the handling of GBV cases, the rate of prosecution of GBV cases, the speed/efficiency of court handling of GBV cases, and the rate of conviction of GBV cases. To ensure the criminal justice system is GBV aware at every step the project will provide concurrent and integrated training of a wide spectrum of legal professionals. Training should include law enforcement, investigative officials, prosecutors, legal aid professionals, victim advocates, local ‘Jirga’ officials and judicial officers. Particular efforts will be made to include as many female Pakistani legal professionals as possible. This programming supports Integrated Country Strategy goal 1.3. to strengthen the rule of law in Pakistan and goal 3.2 to make Pakistan a more inclusive society. Ensuring women are represented in the criminal justice sector is critical to ensuring women have access to justice. Currently, women comprise less than 2 percent of Pakistani police officers and roughly 6 percent of judges. Women in Pakistan face systemic inequality, discrimination, and violence, undermining more broadly the rule of law and social stability. Pakistan ranks at 151 out of 153 countries according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap report 2018 and 150th out of 153 in the Women, Peace and Security Index. According to Gender Development Index (GDI-2015), Pakistan ranks at 147th out of 188 countries and is also ranked at 145 for Gender Inequality Index (GDI-2015). Significantly reducing GBV would reduce the stress and injury to a large proportion of the population. Mitigating the stress and injury to such a large and integral part of the population would add greatly to the stability of the overall society. Reducing the tendency of violence toward women would reduce the tendency of resorting to violence in general which would promote a more peaceful existence. In Pakistan, immense social, cultural and political dimensions perpetuate the issue of gender-based violence. Given existing male dominant and patriarchal attitudes, there is very limited social space to intervene with respect to GBV in family or in the community. Women in Pakistan face many GBV specific issues and concerns owing to conventional, strict family privacy and tribal norms. This call for proposals is intended to address a number of challenges facing the investigation, prosecution and disposition of GBV in Pakistan, including: inter alia, a lack of cooperation between investigators and prosecutors; an insufficient investigative capacity to support the successful prosecution of complex cases and dismantle criminal enterprises; an underdeveloped skills base for handling crisis situations; a limited capacity of police and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute crimes against women; and a very limited participation of women in Pakistan’s police forces. Priority Region/Country : Pakistan Problem Statement: Historical and cultural factors impacting the Pakistan judicial system have left the system with significant limitations on fairly and effectively processing GBV cases and victims. Because of these limitations GBV victims do not receive justice and the public continues to accept GBV as the norm. Project Vision: By increasing the capacity of the Pakistan justice system to effectively engage GBV victims and process GBV cases, public acceptance of GBV as an accepted norm will decrease over time.

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