Sindh Women Development Minister Tauqir Fatima Bhutto announced the Sindh Women Policy on Friday, and said that the policy substantiated the government’s commitment to put an end to the injustice and harassment being practiced against working women. The event was organised to precede the International Women Day which will be observed around the world on December 22.
Addressing a press conference at the Sindh Secretariat Building which was attended by directors of the department and representatives of NGO’s, she said women were facing several problems which the government was determined to resolve.
“May it be Swat, Chitral or Larkana, women have to face sexual harassment and domestic violence everywhere, everyday. NGOs and the government are extending support to resolve this problem as soon as possible,” the minister said.
She said the Sindh Women Policy would address women’s problems such as sexual harassment in public transport and agricultural lands and would encourage Pakistani women to follow the footsteps of their Chinese counterparts and contribute to the national exchequer by making herbal products.
“It is sad that there are no separate prisons for women here. They are given a couple of floors in the men’s prisons and are sometimes imprisoned with juvenile prisoners,” Tauqir Fatima Bhutto said. She said the ‘Sindh Women Policy’ would formally be announced at an award ceremony for working women to be held at Chief Minister’s House on December 29. Women Development Department Director Hamida Masood Shah said thousands of women had been empowered socio-economically, politically and legally and a wide range of facilities and opportunities had been created for the working women across Sindh. “Day care centres, hostels for working women, civic clubs and skills’ training centres are of tremendous importance in this regard. The Women Development Department is making immense efforts for women empowerment in line with the thinking and approach of Benazir Bhutto,” said Hamida Shah.
Highlighting the status of women in Islam, the director announced that schemes such as Advocacy of Women Empowerment in Sindh and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme would be initiated shortly for the socio-economic and legal empowerment of women in the province.
