Islamabad: Uks Research Centre here Friday launched its Annual Desk Diary 2012 titled ‘Women of Pakistan: Saying NO to Domestic Violence’ in which it has focused on ‘Domestic Violence’, with an aim of enhancing awareness of this extremely sensitive and important issue.

Being a media advocacy group, Uks also keeps a constant eye on the relationship between the media and social issues and to what extent the media reflects and corrects social behaviour, whether of an individual or of a group or community.

Accordingly, this year’s desk diary looks at domestic violence through the eyes of the media — how and to what extent editors, columnists, reporters, photographers and cartoonists have acknowledged and taken up domestic violence as a major social disease.

People belonging to different sectors of the society ranging from print and electronic media, civil Society, NGOs, and other organisation representatives were present on this occasion. The launch began with an introduction of Uks and the 2012 Diary. Uks Director Tasneem Ahmar, spoke about each year’s Desk Diary being based on one particular theme — ranging from women and politics, health, education and entrepreneurship.

She also spoke of the extensive research that goes into the making of this Diary every year and explained how this handy document gives a well-rounded view of the theme for a particular year, essentially related to women development.

She said that Uks has produced over 2000 radio programmes till date, with two such programmes on Domestic Violence played on the occasion in front of the audience. The launch concluded with an open forum session, with Dr. Rakhshanda Perveen from SACHET - among others - also providing their valuable comments and feedback.