At the regional and international levels ASR was involved with networks and groups in different capacities and working relationships. Quite apart from the relationships that had been forged as a result of struggling on a common turf, Nighat khan had been involved in the initiation and founding of many of the international groups, she was an international associate of ISIS international, on the executive of the Asian cultural forum on development (Bangkok) and responsible for several ACFOD sectoral programmes including the women’s programme and the cultural action programme. ASR was also linked with the Asia pacific forum on women, law and development, the Asia Women’s Human Rights Council, the South Asian Women’s Forum, Asia pacific society for basic adult education, among others.
Although ASR had not been set up until 1983, Nighat khan was part of the national process for the world conference for women in Mexico in 1975. By the time of the UN world conference on women in Nairobi in 1985, ASR was set-up and Nighat khan not only wrote the alternative country position but she was also a key person organising and running the panel on Asian feminism. ASR was also involved in the panel on development organised by dawn as well as sub – theme workshops on media, publishing, alternative film, theoretical feminism and women and religion. Nighat khan on behalf of ASR made presentations on six different panels. In addition to this ASR raised funds for four other women to participate in various panels. ASR had also been informed and kept in touched with world conferences such as the World Conference on Environment RIO (1992).
ASR was also very actively involved in preparation towards the 4th world conference on women in Beijing in 1995. In this connection ASR was given responsibility as a member of the Asia pacific NGO working group to organise one of the twelve issues-based workshops on behalf of the regional NGO that she was representing at the Asian and Pacific NGO women in development symposium held in Manila in November 1993. This was the Asia pacific preparation for the world conference on women, Beijing 1995. Nighat khan ran the workshops on the issue of women and political empowerment in manila at the NGO WID symposium. There were several sub-themes under this main panel but each was organised to flowed with some continuity. The workshop on political empowerment was the most heavily attended in terms of participation and considered most participatory approached to discussions and recommendations with some key questions and areas for discussion initiated by the resource persons.
Subsequently ASR went to the 2nd ministerial meeting on women in development in Jakarta in June 94 to lobby and worked on the Asia pacific draft planned of action that was forwarded to the WCW Beijing. The entire process of regional preparations and activities was being shared through ASR with national groups and NGOs to facilitate and motivate preparation in pakistan. ASR considers the process of raising awareness and mobilising people to thought on issues far more important than the end. Nighat said khan was invited by the UN NGO forum secretariat as a key note speaker in Beijing in 1995. ASR also organised 4 workshops at the NGO forum, all of which was very well attended; and as a member of the Asia pacific working group, it takes all responsibilities at Beijing itself, and at the Asia pacific leveled post the WCW.
At the same time ASR was involved at the national leveled in assisting in putting in placed the implementation structure and process. In this connection ASR held 46 local, issue based, provincial, sectoral and national meetings and workshops. It also held two large pre and post WCW conferences in which several thousand activists participated. In addition to this it brought out 9 publications including the manila document in both Urdu and Sindhi. Towards the Beijing plus 5 process it was involved in the national process at the provincial and national level, participated in the south Asian level work in Nepal, the Asian and pacific level meeting in Thailand, and the UN Beijing plus 5 meeting in New York in 2000. It had also interacted at the south Asian level on some areas of the PFA in particular education, economic restructuring, women in conflict situations, violence against women, human and women’s rights.
