In our own words, discrimination and violence against women of religious minority backgrounds in Pakistan

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we are launching new research and bringing together both an expert panel of international speakers and the authors of a forthcoming collection, looking at why women from religious minorities experience a unique form of discrimination, marginalisation and sexual violence.

This event will launch a new special collection, entitled Violence and Discrimination Against Women of Religious Minority Backgrounds in Pakistan. These papers look in particular at the situation in Pakistan where a number of recent high profile cases of young women and girls being abducted, forcibly converted and married are highlighting the deep-rooted inequalities facing women from religious minorities. Research on other countries to follow.

Welcome and introductions

Professor Melissa Leach, Director, IDS and Professor Mariz Tadros, Director, CREID.

Keynote address

Professor Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights and Professor of Law and Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall Research Scholar at the University of California-Davis School of Law.

Chaired by Professor Mariz Tadros, speakers include:

Maryam Kanwer and Sadiqa Sultan, Al-Khoei Foundation
Ayesha Khan, Director and Senior Researcher at the Collective for Social Science Research
Dr M.K., Leader from the Ahmaddiya community
Naumana Suleman, Minority Rights Group