The AawazII provincial roundtable convened by the Peace & Justice Network – PJN in collaboration with the Punjab Women Protection Authority brought together civil society experts, government representatives and district-level stakeholders to discuss strengthening the women protection system in Punjab. Participants focused on moving toward an integrated response and institutionalization to make protections more consistent across districts and communities.
Ms. Bushra Khaliq, Executive Director of WISE, Ms. Nabila Bhatti, a gender and child rights expert, and Mr. Ahmar Majeed, an advocate and human rights expert, each presented practical recommendations aimed at improving coordination between government bodies and community actors. The speakers emphasized capacity building, clearer referral pathways, and mechanisms to institutionalize successful community-led practices developed under AawazII.
District stakeholders highlighted the need for strengthened local coordination, routine data sharing and sustained support for grassroots initiatives to ensure that the women protection system responds effectively to survivors and at-risk women. There was broad agreement that integrating community leaders and civil society into formal protection structures will be essential for long-term impact.
Participants urged provincial and district authorities to consider the roundtable recommendations as a roadmap for policy refinement and program design so that community-led AawazII efforts can be sustained and scaled. Continued collaboration between PWPA, PJN and local partners was presented as key to institutionalizing protections and improving outcomes for women across Punjab.
