LAHORE: Punjab minister for the Women Development Department (WDD) Hameeda Waheed-ud-Din has said that women empowerment is essential for any society to grow politically, socially and economically.
She was addressing a meeting at the WDD committee room to review the implementation status of the initiatives of WDD of Punjab Women Empowerment Packages, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017 and ADP 2017-18. The representatives of the concerned departments and WDD also attended the meeting.
Various initiatives of women empowerment have been taken including women protection laws, institutional mechanism for the prevention of violence against women, women crisis and rehabilitation help desks, domestic workers policy, right to equal remuneration/wages and the establishment of cottage villages for women in labour colonies.
Other initiatives include encouraging the private sector to adopt employment policies, the inclusion of women in executive bodies as office-bearers in trade unions, technical training of workers’ wives, and free of cost vocational training to women belonging to minority communities.
Similarly, the skill development of female students with a stipend of Rs.1000 per month, a daycare centre, working women hostels, training of domestic female workers, IT training by the WDD with the PITB’s help, Fatima Jinnah awards, existing mobile units with all basic facilities of screening of breast cancer in rural areas, training of women councilors, property rights to women and other facilities were also reviewed in detail.
The minister directed the participants of the meeting to ensure an effective implementation of women empowerment packages according to the vision of the Punjab government so that a large number of women could be benefitted.