SHARP proudly conducted our SHARP-Women project’s inaugural activity titled “Legal Literacy Session with Students for Creating Awareness on Prevention of GBV and Workplace Harassment” at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). The event, and an MOU signing ceremony afterwards, were also graced by Mr. Arno Kirchhof, Deputy Head of Mission, German Embassy Islamabad, who interacted with students and shared insights on migration pathways and educational and professional opportunities in Europe, particularly Germany.
The CEO of SHARP, Mr. Mudassar Javed, also delivered a keynote address, highlighting future opportunities for youth and emphasizing the importance of active engagement in the digital space for advocacy, peacebuilding, and social harmony. The session witnessed strong participation from around 70 female students and faculty members, followed by an engaging Q&A session reflecting strong interest and participation from students.
The session was delivered by SHARP lawyers Ms. Arooj Awan and Ms. Amina Rehman through an interactive and participatory approach, focusing on key thematic areas including gender equality and prevailing social norms; prevention of gender-based violence (GBV); workplace harassment; access to justice mechanisms; national and international human rights frameworks including CEDAW, ICCPR, and CRC; protection laws; and available referral and support systems for survivors, while also highlighting the role of youth in promoting safe, inclusive, and equitable societies.
At the sidelines of the session, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between SHARP and IUB’s Department of Anthropology in the presence of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor, IUB; Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences; and Dr. Jam Farooq Ahmed, Chairperson, Department of Anthropology.
The MOU, signed by CEO Mr. Mudassar on behalf of SHARP, aims to strengthen collaboration in research, capacity building, and joint initiatives on social justice and human rights. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to bridging academia and practice to promote evidence-based advocacy and expand inclusive access to justice by engaging youth.
