Senate Special Committee on Marginalized Segments of Society on Thursday directed National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) to establish free legal aid centre to facilitate women suffering from distress and trauma.

The meeting, chaired by Rubina Irfan, also urged to formulate a concrete strategy to educate women about the services of the NCSW, and the mechanism to avail the facilities provided by the government for them.

The Senators noted with concern that the seat for member the NCSW from FATA is vacant since a year. They also suggested amending the constitution of the NCSW to define the process of selection for the member, making it more transparent and competitive instead of mere selection by the provincial government or the governor.

The Senators also recommended the cabinet to pass the employment rules for  NCSW that has already been vetted by the Establishment Commission and the Finance Ministry. They asked the NCSW to enhance consultation with the parliamentarians so that a collective voice can be raised on women rights issues.

The meeting started with a detailed briefing on the functions of NCSW by the NCSW’s Chairperson, Khawar Mumtaz. She informed the Committee members that employment rules for NCSW are still under process. “Against 101 sanctioned seats, the Commission is operating with only 36 staff members. Among these 36 members, more than half are support staff,” she said.

The Committee members made a commitment to follow the case with the Cabinet Division. Senator Rubina Khalid was of the opinion that the issues of women are not highlighted effectively, due to lack of coordination between NCSW and women parliamentarians.

Senator Samina Saeed stressed for having a legal team at the Commission so that long-term free legal aid can be provided to women from the platform of NCSW.

At the end, Sajjad Hussain Turi commended the NCSW for its work despite the lack of human and financial resources.

The meeting was attended by Senators Sitara Ayaz, Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, Rubina Khalid, Rubina Irfan, Sajjad Hussain Turi, and Samina Saeed. Officials from Ministry of Human Rights and NCSW also attended the meeting.