The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) to maximise technical assistance, cooperation and coordination for working in an efficient manner.
A statement issued on Thursday stated that UN Women, Pakistan Country Programme Director Alice H. Shackelford and NADRA Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik signed the agreement, under which the UN Women will support NADRA through provision of technical advice about gender equality and empowerment of women; exploring new opportunities to complement ongoing institutional efforts; and determining other areas or services where cooperation and support may be mutually beneficial. Malik was quoted in the statement as saying that the MoU will pave the way for women empowerment; help meet the goal of ensuring involvement of women in mainstream development activities; and support innovative and experimental activities benefiting women in line with national and regional priorities. In the past three years, NADRA has increased women registration by 74 percent while it has already registered 92 percent population of the country by issuing 86 million computerised national identity cards, including that for 37 million women.
Quoting the example of NADRA’s role in women empowerment, he said that NADRA had ensured women rights in the transparent disbursement of cash to flood victims by making the woman as head of the family when required. The NADRA Deputy Chairman said that the authority is working to increase female registration across the country particularly in far-flung remote areas through its mobile registration vans which provide service at their doorsteps.
