After a resounding success in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under the European Union (EU) funded ‘Deliver Justice Project’, the Balochistan Bar Council and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered to bring the second annual Women Lawyers Conference to Balochistan, gathering over 85 women lawyers from across the province.
Commemorating 16 Days of Activism against online abuse, this year, the Conference discussed the challenges and opportunities for “Women Practicing Law in the Digital Era and the Age of AI” with a special focus on Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV). TFGBV is gender-based violence that is perpetrated through phones, social media, or other digital spaces.
Mr. Rahib Khan Buledi, Vice Chairperson, Balochistan Bar Council, took this opportunity to underline that, “The annual Women Lawyers Conference has become a key platform aligning the needs of women as users and service providers of the justice system with the Bar Council’s efforts. This year’s theme strengthens the Conference’s role in preparing women lawyers for emerging risks, digital realities, and new avenues of legal practice.” He thanked the EU and the UNDP for their steadfast partnership in making the justice sector safer and more accessible for women.
The Conference included an orientation session on the preliminary findings of UNDP’s diagnostic research on TFGBV, raising awareness about online abuse targeting women, girls, and marginalized groups. This was followed by a panel discussion on ‘Confronting TFGBV’ led by Mr. Zulfiqar Durrani, Head of UNDP Sub-Office Balochistan, with panelists Ms. Sabira Islam, former Ombudsperson, Balochistan; Mr. Sardar Qadeer, Advocate, Sardar Qadeer Law Associates; Ms. Fauzia Shaheen, ex-Chairperson, Balochistan Commission on the Status of Women; and Ms. Farzana Khilji, Advocate. Discussions focused on the nature of TFGBV cases, gaps in the legal framework, evidence collection, and steps to create safer online spaces for women, girls, and marginalized groups.
Congratulating the Balochistan Bar Council, and UNDP on milestones achieved under the EU-funded ‘Deliver Justice Project,’ Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Pakistan, highlighted, “AI and ICT bring many advantages, but they also introduce challenges and pitfalls such as Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV). We are proud to support women lawyers to address these challenges, strengthen access to justice, enhance representation, and break long-standing barriers.”
At the close of the Conference, women lawyers agreed on recommendations to build safer workplaces and a justice sector equipped to meet the emerging challenges in the age of AI.
Ms. Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, shared a special message for women lawyers. “Let this gathering not end in words – let it end in commitment. Commitment to challenge injustice wherever it lives and to stand beside every woman whose voice still waits to be heard.” She thanked the Balochistan Bar Council for supporting women’s advancement and the EU for joining UNDP on this journey.
