LAHORE:
Educated women should play their role for the uplift of society instead of choosing to stay home, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Sunday at a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.
Speaking on International Women’s Day, Sharif announced that ‘Violence against women’ centres would be set up in various cities providing police assistance and medical facilities.
The chief minister said the government had decided to give 33 percent representation to women in all decision-making boards and committees.
He said that the government institutions now had to appoint at least one woman in their recruitment committees.
Department for International Development (DFID) country head Richard Montgomery praised the government for taking ‘women empowerment’ steps.
Provincial Ministers Begum Zakia Shahnawaz and Hameeda Waheeduddin, Balochistan Minister for Women Development Mir Izhar Khan Khosa and MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik also attended the ceremony.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had arranged a ceremony at Darul Aman to mark the day.
Separately, PTI Punjab secretary general Yasmin Rashid said the day provided an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements. It called for ensuring greater equality in society, she said.
“Millions of women and girls in the country lack access to education, healthcare, justice and economic opportunities. Pakistan is ranked worst in Global Gender Gap Report.”
The Jamaat Islami’s Women’s Wing had arranged a Khadijatul Kubra conference at their Mansoora headquarters to mark the day.
