The other day, I had read in the newspapers that President Asif Ali Zardari has announced that the government has decided to appoint women to the judiciary. This is indeed a welcome and long overdue move. It is like saying better late than never.
President Zardari made the much appreciable announcement, which amounts empowering the women in all spheres of national life, at the concluding ceremony of “One Million Signatures Campaign” which was aimed at creating awareness regarding violence and discrimination against women.
The President on this occasion, as per the media reports, quite rightly pointed out that such practices are just not a problem for Pakistan but are common elsewhere in the sub-continent as well . Discrimination against women, be it in terms of their education, job or promotion opportunities, rights of inheritance or reproductive health care is one of the greatest impediments in our overall development.
President Zardari also availed the opportunity to recall and laud the achievements of his government citing the passage of the Protection Against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010, Criminal Law Amendment Act 2010, Criminal Law Second Amendment Act 2011 and Women in Distress and Detention Fund Act 2011.
While welcoming the President’s announcement, it is sincerely hoped that his announcement will be turned into reality and the Federal Government would soon be taking practical steps for inducting women in the judiciary.
We have had distinguished women judges in the past, though not in appreciable number, and our future women justices could do well by learning some valuable lessons from their experiences in the males dominated society of ours.
But still the credit goes to President Asif Ali Zardari for taking a step further to enhancement of empowering of the women . The implementation of the President’s announcement is keenly awaited now.
SAADIA AHSAN
Lahore