Women can play major role in socioeconomic uplift of country: Sharmila

KARACHI – Pakistani women are talented and can play a major role in the socioeconomic development of the country, which is why the PPP government is committed towards empowering them through better education. PPP Women Wing Sindh Information Secretary Sharmila Farooqui said this on Sunday before leaving for the US to attend the ‘Year of Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges’ programme to be held in Washington under the aegis of the State Department in connection with the 100th International Women’s Day.
She said that she would represent the PPP Women Wing at the programme and highlight the social, educational and human rights relief and incentives provided to the women and girls in Pakistan. This year’s theme for the International Women’s Day is ‘Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women’. The PPP government is committed to initiating more projects for boosting science and technology education and providing a greater share to women and girls in them so as to develop the country.
To empower Pakistani women, the PPP government has launched various programmes, such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and scholarship schemes at colleges and universities for providing higher education. Under the BISP, deserving women are being paid Rs 1,000 per month. The government has also established women police stations, besides passing a bill regarding domestic violence against women. In association with social and human rights organisations, the government is sensitising the police to end domestic violence and harassment against women across the country.
Besides the government, it is also the responsibility of all stakeholders – including the media and non-governmental organisations – to jointly struggle for bringing an end to human rights violations, particularly against women and girls.
The National Assembly had passed the ‘Protection against Harassment at Workplaces Bill’ for providing a safe working environment to women as well as for their protection.
“It is a pity that tolerance level in males is very low. Discrimination with women starts even before their birth because many parents do not want girls. The media should play its due role in helping to change this state of mind,” Farooqui said.
She called upon civil society organisations to cooperate with the government for putting an end to honour killings, besides raising awareness about their rights in every part of the country.