International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated by the students of Adolescent Friendly Centers (AFCs) in the mountain region of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral (GBC) north of Pakistan on October 11, 2013 as an activity of the ongoing project Adolescents Early Youth Development Project (A/EYDP) implemented by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and funded by Plan International Pakistan (PIP). Around seven thousand male and female registered adolescents ranging from age group 9-19 of AFCs participated in this event. Political leaders, civil society members, representatives of women and youth organizations, academicians, High School and College going female students, journalists, religious leaders and parents also attended this historically important social occasion. The event was organized by the collaboration of Local Support Organizations (LSOs) and the project staff in GBC.

Adolescents performed simulation exercises, dramas, debates, singing and speech competitions by following the undercurrents of the very UN Resolution on Human Rights and Gender Equality. The thematic areas of all event activities were based on the background philosophy of the international observance day as declared by the United Nations on October 11, 2012. The participants were sensitized about important issues ranging from equal opportunities for girls, inequality and discrimination faced by girls in accessing education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence, force marriages and early marriages. While addressing the event in Skardu Baltistan Madam Amina Ansari and Shereen Fatima (Members Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly) appreciated the efforts of AKRSP in introducing rights based approaches in the areas of human development among the marginalized communities of GBC in general and Baltistan in particular. “AKRSP has initiated a revolution for the emancipation of women from all kinds of discrimination in a tribal patriarchal society” said Amina Ansari. Addressing the event, Madam Shereen Fatima said that celebrating International Girl Child Day in Baltistan for the first time in the history of this region owes a lot to AKRSP and the efforts of AFCs and LSOs is laudable in setting this historic benchmark. Students from Government Degree College for Girls Skardu also performed with adolescents on stage.

Addressing the event in Chitral, Member Provincial Assembly Khyber Pukhton Khaw Mr. Saleem Khan appreciated the efforts of Plan Pakistan and AKRSP for their right based intervention among the mountain communities of Chitral region. “Due to the intervention of AKRSP through this rights based project, the suicidal ratio among youth in general and female youth in particular has been dramatically reduced in Chitral, on behalf of provincial government Chitral KPK, I thank AKRSP and Garam Chashma Development Organization (GADO)”. He further assured his support for further development and sustainability of AFCs in Chitral region through public policy. He also discussed gender role, gender discrimination, gender balance. He announced computers for each AFC in Chitral.

In District Ghizer GB, the event was organized by the Best Town Local Support Organization, LSO Taus Yasin and LSO Chatorkhand. Mohammad Ayob, Member National Assembly Gilgit-Baltistan while addressing the event applauded the role of AKRP and LSOs in organizing such an important event and he said that AFCs are the beacon of the hope in a society where gender discrimination is on its peaks. Through this platform we can create ripples of consciousness in to the minds of our people regarding gender equality which our religion Islam emphasized before fourteen hundred years ago. He said. The event was also attended by the Chairman Ismaili Tariqa Board Ghizer and he also appreciated the role of PIP and AKRSP in introducing such right based development intervention in highly neglected society of GB. He said that women as half man in Islam is a gross violation of the egalitarian sprit of Islam. “We should reject this obscurantist pre-Islamic mind-set” he emphasized.

AFCs in district Hunza- Nager also celebrated International Girl Child Day in Hyderabad, Karimabad and Altit villages. The program was organized by Local support organizations ARSO and HRSO. While addressing the event Miss Lal Bano (Honorary Secretary Ismaili Regional Council for Hunza) said that Adolescents Early Youth Development Project by PIP and AKRSP will bring positive behavioral change not only among the adolescents but in the whole social fabric of our society. “Celebrating such wonderful event is the self-evident truth of way forward to enlightenment by jettisoning century’s old ignorance of gender discrimination” she said. Parents, religious leaders, and community gatekeepers also appreciated the efforts of AFCs students in illuminating their minds about International Girl Child Day.

Pictorial Below!