The report was led by the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHRC) and the Pakistan Institute ... more The report was led by the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHRC) and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research. It is an inquiry-led report which seeks to assess the drought crisis in Tharparkar in 2016. This is the reviewed copy of the report. Due to unexplained reasons, it is no longer available on the NCHR website. Hence, it is being posted for record-keeping.
The report has been prepared for the National Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan. It documents... more The report has been prepared for the National Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan. It documents community’s concerns with regard to the Thar Coal project and also contextualizes coal development in the Tharparkar region.
The document is an effort by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research to highlight... more The document is an effort by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research to highlight the picture of shrinking space for civil society in a rights-compromised environment. Four key rights of expression, information, assembly and association are at the centre of this aspiration, as they form the very basis of a vibrant democracy.
The picture of fundamental rights in Pakistan is incomplete without the contribution of Pakistan’s resilient civil society that has been at the forefront of struggles, movements and efforts to push for a rights-driven agenda in Pakistan’s state’s value systems. This rights deficit in expression, access to information, and freedoms of assembly and association, impedes Pakistan’s civil society from performing its core function of rights promotion. Civil society’s day to day operations are characterized by self censorship, a difficult RTI regime, crackdown on major forms of assembly and a stringent regulatory structure surrounding association - whether they are student unions, workers unions or international NGOs working in Pakistan. The fundamental premise of the document is to address the need for an information based advocacy aimed at promoting discourse on the rights and security for those attached to the civil society sector. It documents major developments in laws, policies, actions and practices in the above-mentioned four areas from civil society’s perspective, in recent years. The document also seeks to present an assessment on how a restrictive rights environment impacts civil society.
Consolidation of Research on Gaps in Violence against Women Laws and Implementation in Pakistan. ... more Consolidation of Research on Gaps in Violence against Women Laws and Implementation in Pakistan. The document – prepared for the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) under the Gender Equity Programme (GEP) - compiles existing research on the lacunas in the implementation of a set of laws addressing violence against women, passed between year 2004-2010
There is a broad consensus that the social protection bouquet of the Pakistani state does not del... more There is a broad consensus that the social protection bouquet of the Pakistani state does not deliver on citizenship rights of the country’s population, nor does it take into account the citizenship experience marked by poor access to resources, including low assets, poor human capital and an economic structure biased in favour of the elites and the politically and economically organised and mobilised. By way of their design and delivery, they fail to reach out to the wide majority engaged in the informal sector, especially the agricultural sector and the rural population where the Gini coefficient is as low as 0.37, outlining acute income inequality.
A 2011 paper on social protection systems in Pakistan. Seeks to analyse the various social protec... more A 2011 paper on social protection systems in Pakistan. Seeks to analyse the various social protection programmes running in the country. Published in Labour Status Report by PILER in 2011.
Every single disaster in Karachi – natural or man-made – is followed by the usual blame game betw... more Every single disaster in Karachi – natural or man-made – is followed by the usual blame game between departments and political parties contesting for power. While hundreds of research studies point to the absence of effective disaster response mechanisms, lack of interdepartmental coordination and unplanned development of the city, there is no denying that Karachi is managed by those who are devoid of the relevant skills and capacities for the job.
As enforced disappearances by the state become a regular business in Pakistan, families of missin... more As enforced disappearances by the state become a regular business in Pakistan, families of missing individuals go through the toughest times looking for answers for the loved ones gone.
Over 1400 missing persons case have been officially recorded. in Aug 2017 alone, 80 plus people, mainly political and civil society activists were enforced disappeared.
Feminist interventions in international …, Jan 1, 2007
CHAPTER EIGHT C $0 The Global Structures and Cultures of Pornography: The Global Brothel Katharin... more CHAPTER EIGHT C $0 The Global Structures and Cultures of Pornography: The Global Brothel Katharine Sarikakis and Zeenia Shaukat The pornography industry is a most successful global media industry: its prod-ucts have a universal appeal; increasing demand fuels an ...
Pakistani NGOs are increasingly being threatened by the state as well as non state actors, both s... more Pakistani NGOs are increasingly being threatened by the state as well as non state actors, both seeking to restrict the ambit of fundamental rights and freedoms in the name of "national interest".
The story of a remarkable political worker, whose his dedicated commitment to engaging a democrat... more The story of a remarkable political worker, whose his dedicated commitment to engaging a democratic process for political struggle contributed to a sustained and successful resistance against dictatorship in Pakistan.
The nightmare of living in Karachi's apartments. The article seeks to highlight how the physical,... more The nightmare of living in Karachi's apartments. The article seeks to highlight how the physical, mental and emotional well being of a large majority of Karachi's citizens is being compromised at the hands of a blind and unplanned urbanisation characterised by massive spread of apartments and the state's zero interest in protecting the welfare of apartment residents.
Report on state of labour rights in year 2016 for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s annua... more Report on state of labour rights in year 2016 for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s annual report. Article to be found on Page 179.
Pakistan’s slow justice system punishes those who become involved in civil or criminal litigation... more Pakistan’s slow justice system punishes those who become involved in civil or criminal litigation. Cases can go on for decades. Cost in terms of money spent ends up going beyond the claims made.
Today, despite consistent rise in nation states’ interest in building and expanding their nuclear... more Today, despite consistent rise in nation states’ interest in building and expanding their nuclear capability, a combination of stringent safeguards and international diplomacy has largely reduced the threat of a repeat of a Hiroshima/Nagasaki. However, bombing is not the only way for toxic levels of radioactivity to make its way to common people’s lives. In the past 70 years, 440 radiation accidents have occurred worldwide, largely linked to nuclear power plants. A critical nuclear plant accident not only demand intensive disaster response in terms of addressing the radiation contamination, but states are required to undertake massive operations for evacuation and resettlement, while also dealing with psycho-social impacts of the disaster, and resurrect of a shattered economy
Both nationally and globally, sexual harassment in agriculture fields is much widespread than doc... more Both nationally and globally, sexual harassment in agriculture fields is much widespread than documented. Firstly, the sector is increasingly being dominated by females. In Food and agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports, South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa have been identified as two regions with a huge majority of working women employed by the agriculture sector. In on-farm agriculture, women work under male supervisors. The workplace is an open field, occupying hundreds of acres, isolating workers from each other and providing opportunity for predators to launch an attack without the threat of being noticed. Tied in an informal work arrangement with no legal contracts, in addition to extreme poverty, women find themselves unable to register a complaint with the employer or landlord. Even in countries where stronger mechanisms against sexual harassment are available to agriculture workers, filing a complaint is not a choice. Job insecurity is described as a major reason behind this reluctance.
How modern Pakistani women are seeking to engage the range of opportunities presented by a global... more How modern Pakistani women are seeking to engage the range of opportunities presented by a globalised world, throwing patriarchy on the back foot!
Pakistan ranks as 30 of 45 countries for its weak political and social measures to reduce hunger ... more Pakistan ranks as 30 of 45 countries for its weak political and social measures to reduce hunger and under-nutrition
The report was led by the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHRC) and the Pakistan Institute ... more The report was led by the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHRC) and the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research. It is an inquiry-led report which seeks to assess the drought crisis in Tharparkar in 2016. This is the reviewed copy of the report. Due to unexplained reasons, it is no longer available on the NCHR website. Hence, it is being posted for record-keeping.
The report has been prepared for the National Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan. It documents... more The report has been prepared for the National Commission for Human Rights, Pakistan. It documents community’s concerns with regard to the Thar Coal project and also contextualizes coal development in the Tharparkar region.
The document is an effort by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research to highlight... more The document is an effort by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research to highlight the picture of shrinking space for civil society in a rights-compromised environment. Four key rights of expression, information, assembly and association are at the centre of this aspiration, as they form the very basis of a vibrant democracy.
The picture of fundamental rights in Pakistan is incomplete without the contribution of Pakistan’s resilient civil society that has been at the forefront of struggles, movements and efforts to push for a rights-driven agenda in Pakistan’s state’s value systems. This rights deficit in expression, access to information, and freedoms of assembly and association, impedes Pakistan’s civil society from performing its core function of rights promotion. Civil society’s day to day operations are characterized by self censorship, a difficult RTI regime, crackdown on major forms of assembly and a stringent regulatory structure surrounding association - whether they are student unions, workers unions or international NGOs working in Pakistan. The fundamental premise of the document is to address the need for an information based advocacy aimed at promoting discourse on the rights and security for those attached to the civil society sector. It documents major developments in laws, policies, actions and practices in the above-mentioned four areas from civil society’s perspective, in recent years. The document also seeks to present an assessment on how a restrictive rights environment impacts civil society.
Consolidation of Research on Gaps in Violence against Women Laws and Implementation in Pakistan. ... more Consolidation of Research on Gaps in Violence against Women Laws and Implementation in Pakistan. The document – prepared for the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) under the Gender Equity Programme (GEP) - compiles existing research on the lacunas in the implementation of a set of laws addressing violence against women, passed between year 2004-2010
There is a broad consensus that the social protection bouquet of the Pakistani state does not del... more There is a broad consensus that the social protection bouquet of the Pakistani state does not deliver on citizenship rights of the country’s population, nor does it take into account the citizenship experience marked by poor access to resources, including low assets, poor human capital and an economic structure biased in favour of the elites and the politically and economically organised and mobilised. By way of their design and delivery, they fail to reach out to the wide majority engaged in the informal sector, especially the agricultural sector and the rural population where the Gini coefficient is as low as 0.37, outlining acute income inequality.
A 2011 paper on social protection systems in Pakistan. Seeks to analyse the various social protec... more A 2011 paper on social protection systems in Pakistan. Seeks to analyse the various social protection programmes running in the country. Published in Labour Status Report by PILER in 2011.
Every single disaster in Karachi – natural or man-made – is followed by the usual blame game betw... more Every single disaster in Karachi – natural or man-made – is followed by the usual blame game between departments and political parties contesting for power. While hundreds of research studies point to the absence of effective disaster response mechanisms, lack of interdepartmental coordination and unplanned development of the city, there is no denying that Karachi is managed by those who are devoid of the relevant skills and capacities for the job.
As enforced disappearances by the state become a regular business in Pakistan, families of missin... more As enforced disappearances by the state become a regular business in Pakistan, families of missing individuals go through the toughest times looking for answers for the loved ones gone.
Over 1400 missing persons case have been officially recorded. in Aug 2017 alone, 80 plus people, mainly political and civil society activists were enforced disappeared.
Feminist interventions in international …, Jan 1, 2007
CHAPTER EIGHT C $0 The Global Structures and Cultures of Pornography: The Global Brothel Katharin... more CHAPTER EIGHT C $0 The Global Structures and Cultures of Pornography: The Global Brothel Katharine Sarikakis and Zeenia Shaukat The pornography industry is a most successful global media industry: its prod-ucts have a universal appeal; increasing demand fuels an ...
Pakistani NGOs are increasingly being threatened by the state as well as non state actors, both s... more Pakistani NGOs are increasingly being threatened by the state as well as non state actors, both seeking to restrict the ambit of fundamental rights and freedoms in the name of "national interest".
The story of a remarkable political worker, whose his dedicated commitment to engaging a democrat... more The story of a remarkable political worker, whose his dedicated commitment to engaging a democratic process for political struggle contributed to a sustained and successful resistance against dictatorship in Pakistan.
The nightmare of living in Karachi's apartments. The article seeks to highlight how the physical,... more The nightmare of living in Karachi's apartments. The article seeks to highlight how the physical, mental and emotional well being of a large majority of Karachi's citizens is being compromised at the hands of a blind and unplanned urbanisation characterised by massive spread of apartments and the state's zero interest in protecting the welfare of apartment residents.
Report on state of labour rights in year 2016 for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s annua... more Report on state of labour rights in year 2016 for the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s annual report. Article to be found on Page 179.
Pakistan’s slow justice system punishes those who become involved in civil or criminal litigation... more Pakistan’s slow justice system punishes those who become involved in civil or criminal litigation. Cases can go on for decades. Cost in terms of money spent ends up going beyond the claims made.
Today, despite consistent rise in nation states’ interest in building and expanding their nuclear... more Today, despite consistent rise in nation states’ interest in building and expanding their nuclear capability, a combination of stringent safeguards and international diplomacy has largely reduced the threat of a repeat of a Hiroshima/Nagasaki. However, bombing is not the only way for toxic levels of radioactivity to make its way to common people’s lives. In the past 70 years, 440 radiation accidents have occurred worldwide, largely linked to nuclear power plants. A critical nuclear plant accident not only demand intensive disaster response in terms of addressing the radiation contamination, but states are required to undertake massive operations for evacuation and resettlement, while also dealing with psycho-social impacts of the disaster, and resurrect of a shattered economy
Both nationally and globally, sexual harassment in agriculture fields is much widespread than doc... more Both nationally and globally, sexual harassment in agriculture fields is much widespread than documented. Firstly, the sector is increasingly being dominated by females. In Food and agriculture Organisation (FAO) reports, South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa have been identified as two regions with a huge majority of working women employed by the agriculture sector. In on-farm agriculture, women work under male supervisors. The workplace is an open field, occupying hundreds of acres, isolating workers from each other and providing opportunity for predators to launch an attack without the threat of being noticed. Tied in an informal work arrangement with no legal contracts, in addition to extreme poverty, women find themselves unable to register a complaint with the employer or landlord. Even in countries where stronger mechanisms against sexual harassment are available to agriculture workers, filing a complaint is not a choice. Job insecurity is described as a major reason behind this reluctance.
How modern Pakistani women are seeking to engage the range of opportunities presented by a global... more How modern Pakistani women are seeking to engage the range of opportunities presented by a globalised world, throwing patriarchy on the back foot!
Pakistan ranks as 30 of 45 countries for its weak political and social measures to reduce hunger ... more Pakistan ranks as 30 of 45 countries for its weak political and social measures to reduce hunger and under-nutrition
This book provides an insight into how we see the global trajectories of capitalism from a labour... more This book provides an insight into how we see the global trajectories of capitalism from a labour perspective in the specific context and setting in Asia. It represents an ongoing effort by labour activists to challenge capital in their particular context. The book discusses a unique perspective on efforts towards the changes of labour relations, with concrete examples of the implementation of different workers’ organizing strategies and initiatives. The book also shows that there are different strategies that workers can implement to change the current situation. Resistance on the Continent of Labour is about the ‘labour side’ of the story of the rise of Asia as the global factory. Workers in Asia identified strategic points of intervention where they are able to make a small change in order to trigger a broader and more significant change.
The authors of the book are activists and scholars who engaged in counter-hegemonic struggles against the primacy of the market functioning over the well-being of workers and society as a whole. They are directly engaged in advocacy work for social justice based on their locally-grounded experiences. They believe that knowing the situation in other countries is the first step for building international solidarity. The knowledge that the authors of this book presented is significant, but they need to be leveraged in further struggles in the future, to change Asia as the continent of labour to be humane, equal, and just.
This Human Rights and Business Country Guide contains information regarding the potential and act... more This Human Rights and Business Country Guide contains information regarding the potential and actual human rights impacts of businesses operating in Pakistan. The information in this Guide is gathered from publicly available sources, and is intended to help companies respect human rights and contribute to development in their own operations and those of their suppliers and business partners.
Hi! I am Zeenia Shaukat. I am an independent professional. My work background relates to media, p... more Hi! I am Zeenia Shaukat. I am an independent professional. My work background relates to media, politics, legislation, rights institutions and a bit of academia. As much of my work involves working on social issues, I have had the opportunity to witness struggles and what they represent. I thought it would be good for me to talk about this topic as I have found myself asking questions about struggles that I have also found myself having to answer also. We are well aware that much of the freedoms, rights and spaces that we enjoy today come on the back of intense, long-drawn struggles, a few documented and many unaccounted for. These struggles are riddled with stories of setbacks, disappointments, pain and heavy sacrifices. Many a times, the price paid in the process may not be worth the accolades received, nor any amount of documentation could articulate it.
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Papers by Zeenia Shaukat
The picture of fundamental rights in Pakistan is incomplete without the contribution of Pakistan’s resilient civil society that has been at the forefront of struggles, movements and efforts to push for a rights-driven agenda in Pakistan’s state’s value systems. This rights deficit in expression, access to information, and freedoms of assembly and association, impedes Pakistan’s civil society from performing its core function of rights promotion. Civil society’s day to day operations are characterized by self censorship, a difficult RTI regime, crackdown on major forms of assembly and a stringent regulatory structure surrounding association - whether they are student unions, workers unions or international NGOs working in Pakistan.
The fundamental premise of the document is to address the need for an information based advocacy aimed at promoting discourse on the rights and security for those attached to the civil society sector. It documents major developments in laws, policies, actions and practices in the above-mentioned four areas from civil society’s perspective, in recent years. The document also seeks to present an assessment on how a restrictive rights environment impacts civil society.
Over 1400 missing persons case have been officially recorded. in Aug 2017 alone, 80 plus people, mainly political and civil society activists were enforced disappeared.
The picture of fundamental rights in Pakistan is incomplete without the contribution of Pakistan’s resilient civil society that has been at the forefront of struggles, movements and efforts to push for a rights-driven agenda in Pakistan’s state’s value systems. This rights deficit in expression, access to information, and freedoms of assembly and association, impedes Pakistan’s civil society from performing its core function of rights promotion. Civil society’s day to day operations are characterized by self censorship, a difficult RTI regime, crackdown on major forms of assembly and a stringent regulatory structure surrounding association - whether they are student unions, workers unions or international NGOs working in Pakistan.
The fundamental premise of the document is to address the need for an information based advocacy aimed at promoting discourse on the rights and security for those attached to the civil society sector. It documents major developments in laws, policies, actions and practices in the above-mentioned four areas from civil society’s perspective, in recent years. The document also seeks to present an assessment on how a restrictive rights environment impacts civil society.
Over 1400 missing persons case have been officially recorded. in Aug 2017 alone, 80 plus people, mainly political and civil society activists were enforced disappeared.
The authors of the book are activists and scholars who engaged in counter-hegemonic struggles against the primacy of the market functioning over the well-being of workers and society as a whole. They are directly engaged in advocacy work for social justice based on their locally-grounded experiences. They believe that knowing the situation in other countries is the first step for building international solidarity. The knowledge that the authors of this book presented is significant, but they need to be leveraged in further struggles in the future, to change Asia as the continent of labour to be humane, equal, and just.
We are well aware that much of the freedoms, rights and spaces that we enjoy today come on the back of intense, long-drawn struggles, a few documented and many unaccounted for. These struggles are riddled with stories of setbacks, disappointments, pain and heavy sacrifices. Many a times, the price paid in the process may not be worth the accolades received, nor any amount of documentation could articulate it.