LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to launch a four-year project for promoting protection, rehabilitation and economic empowerment of the survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in the province, with technical assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project aims at strengthening the provincial mechanisms for effective service delivery for GBV survivors through engaging different stakeholders.

Since gender-based violence isa pressing issue in the country, significantly impacting the rights and safety of women and girls and hindering their overall development, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has declared it a `red line`. Still, a number of GBV cases are not being reported, and those who report such issues are usually stigmatised by society.

In order to protect the GBV survivors, the Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Department has launched the four-year project that will run through November 2028. The project activities will be implemented in four selected districts Lahore, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

Social Welfare Department Secretary Javed Akhtar Mahmood told Dawn the project to be launched with technical assistance of JICA would help lessen the sufferings of survivors of domestic violence by providing them shelter, imparting skill training and making them self-sufficient through economic empowerment.

He said gender-based violence was also prevalent in the world`s most developed countries.

The project would benefit the district women protection officers, women protection officers, other officers of the department, besides Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA) and service providers in the selected districts.

The project activities will include training need assessment, development of training modules and imparting training to SWD/PWPA officers, technology dissemination, engagement of relevant stakeholders to plan and strengthen women protection mechanism in Punjab.

Development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for different wings of SWD, establishment of transitional homes in the selected districts and development of institutional framework by preparing and improving SOPs for SWD institutions working for GBV survivors will also be carried out during the project.

Earlier, the secretary said, the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016 was enacted to establish a robust system for protection and rehabilitation of GBV survivors, leading to establishment of the PWPA under the act as an autonomous body of SWD.

He said the department was providing care and rehabilitation services to the women in distress and survivors of domestic and gender-based violence through 36 Dar-ul-Aman establishments, 12 Women Crisis Centres and six Darul Falah setups across Punjab.

The JICA, it may be mentioned, had worked with the social welfare department during 2021-23 and established a transitional home in Faisalabad as a pilot project, besides organising capacity-building trainings for the social welfare staff.