LAHORE: The book, ‘Successful Women Educators and their impact on human development in Punjab (1947-2007)’ by Dr Sabiha Mansoor was launched by the Lahore School of Economics (LSE) at its campus here on Saturday.
Minister of Education Dr Shafqat Mehmood was invited as the chief guest at the occasion while the ceremony was addressed by LSE Rector Dr Shahid Amjad.
The Panel discussion which followed was chaired by Dr Fareeha Zafar and included Nasreen Kasuri, Dr Najma Najam, Souriya Anwar, Salima Hashmi and Khawar Mumtaz as panellists.
The book details the struggle for women’s rights in Pakistan since independence and identifies key traits and skills that make a “successful woman educator” accompanied by engaging profiles of academic luminaries such as Priobola Mangat Rai to non-formal educators working to enhance girls’ education.
Dr Shahid Amjad Chaudhry said, “It is a special occasion since LSE is a great admirer of the role women have played in the field of education,” adding that around 85 per cent of LSE employees are women.
Chairperson Beaconhouse School Systems (BSS) Nasreen Kasuri said, “Most of the teachers employed by BSS are women and it is common knowledge that women make better educators.”
Educationist Salima Hashmi said that women have played a crucial role in the country’s development since 1947.
While speaking at the occasion, Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said, “Women have made an immense contribution to the field of education in the country. It is a sad fact that owing to socio-cultural constraints women are not allowed to work in professional fields.”
“We are (currently) not focusing on establishing new universities since a large number of educational institutions – both public and private – are already operational. The focus instead is directed at introducing a common syllabus for both public and private institutes,” he added.