PESHAWAR: Speakers at a special function arranged here on Wednesday urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take concrete steps for empowering women.
Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary and cultural organisation, had arranged the programme at the Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan Hall of the Gandhara Hindko Academy to mark the International Women’s Day (March 8).
An eminent poet and telecaster, Bushra Farukh, was the chief guest on the occasion. Roohi Zahir Shah was the guest of honour. Academician Dr Samina Zahid presided over the function. The speakers discussed various laws affecting the women, social injustices, problems faced by them, and the roles they were playing both individually and collectively.
Gandhara Hindko Academy Research Officer Hina Tahir said women constituted almost half of the Pakistan’s population. She said economic, political and social development goals could not be achieved without ensuring effective participation of women in every field of life, especially public offices. She said sincere efforts and gender advancement policy by the state as its commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) were needed to provide an environment conducive to women’s participation in all sectors which would ultimately lead to national development.
The gathering made a number of demands for the welfare of women. The government was asked to provide employment and promotion opportunities to women.Those at the function demanded 10 per cent increase in job quota for women through proper legislation and affirmative action policy such as gender sensitive service rules and facilities for women employees with minor children and disabilities.
The participants called for a special age relaxation up to three years for women to facilitate them to get jobs. The gathering laid stress on a time-bound action plan by the provincial government on women empowerment policy as its commitment to the Pakistani women. The participants said the bill tabled in the provincial assembly to curb the curse of dowry should be passed by setting up a strong monitoring mechanism to ensure effective implementation of the law such constituting monitoring committees at union council level.
The government was urged to build more hostels for working women in Peshawar which should be extended later to each district by providing state subsidy as recognition of women as bread winners for their families.
The participants called for establishing daycare centers for working women’s children as social protection policy of the state. The gathering demanded non-political appointment of Ombudswoman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to deal with complaints of harassment at workplaces.