‘Govt to enforce women rights bill’

LAHORE

Provincial Minister for Women Development Hameeda Waheed-ud-Din has said that effective implementation of the Violence Bill will be ensured.

She was talking to representatives of civil society here today. Regional Director of Aurat Foundation Mamtaz Mughal, Ruhi Maqbool, Salman Abid, Humaira Aslam, Sumaira Saleem, Shabnam Khan, Nabeela Feroz, Farzana, Dr. Zarqa Mehreen, Sameen Salamat, Asif Raja, Naureen Raja, Abid Ali, Amna, Fakhara Tehreem, Provincial Secretary Amna Imam and others were present. Mamtaz Mughal thanked the Women Development Department especially women assembly members of the opposition over the passage of the violence bill.

She said that it was due to the efforts of civil society and cooperation of the government that the bill had been passed. The representatives of civil society stressed that a awareness campaign regarding the rights of women should be made more effective. They congratulated the government on the passage of the bill and said that it would control violence against women and they would be able to play their due role in national development with more confidence.

Hameeda Waheed-ud-Din said that efforts of civil society, women assembly members and Women Development Department were commendable for the passage of the violence bill. She thanked civil society for its cooperation and said that implementation of the bill would be ensured while attention would also be paid to the awareness campaign. She said the purpose of the bill was to curb violence against women while it would also save family system. 

welcomed: Punjab Commission on the Status of Women has welcomed the enactment of the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, unanimously passed by Punjab Assembly.

In a statement Chairperson of the Commission Fauzia Viquar stated that the protection ensured for women under the much-awaited law is a great step ahead which would strengthen the measures already taken by the Punjab government for empowerment of women and protection of their legal rights. She said that the enactment would work as a deterrent against all forms of violence against women.

seminar: Punjab University’s Institute of Social and Cultural Studies (ISCS) in collaboration with Women Development Department organized a seminar on women empowerment here on Friday.

According to a press release Dean Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences Prof Dr Zakria Zakir, Secretary Punjab Women Development Department Dr Amna Imam, Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) Executive Director Bushra Khalid, faculty members and M Phil and PhD scholars participated in the event. 

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Zakria Zakir said strengthening women was a matter of our survival because economic development of any society was not possible without women development. He said we lived in an imbalanced society and we could create balance by taking positive initiatives. He said we must make collective efforts for prosperity of women in our society. 

Dr Amna Imam said we wanted that equal rights be given to women but unfortunately women were not being considered even as “human being” by our male-dominated society.  Highlighting the initiatives taken by the government for betterment of women, she said the government had adopted best policies to provide due rights to the women. She said we were moving towards a sophisticated and educated society and the democracy was being strengthened in the country. She said women could strengthen themselves only when they would be aware of their rights. 

Bushra Khalid lauded the initiatives taken by Punjab government for women empowerment and said women must be provided maximum opportunities so that they could show their potential. Earlier, Dr Aamna Imam inaugurated a day care centre at ISCS.