PPP committed to empowerment of women: CM

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has reiterated the resolve of his government to empower women in every sector of economy and life.

In his message on International Women's Day that was observed on Saturday, the CM mentioned that his government had launched the first-ever ‘pink’ bus service dedicated to providing secure and respectable daily commuting facilities to women in urban centres of the province.

He said the Sindh government had also launched an electric bike scheme to enable women to reach their workplaces and educational institutions in a secure, environment-friendly and cheapest manner.

He explained that in the first phase of the scheme, 1,000 electric bikes would be given to students and working women who would also be imparted training in driving the electric-powered two-wheelers.

The CM said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ruling in the province had the utmost resolve to provide equal facilities and opportunities to women in the education and health sectors.

He praised the efforts and services of Fatima Jinnah, Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for the country.

Shah remarked that the Sindh government had adopted groundbreaking laws to ensure the protection of women's rights and guarantee female participation in every walk of life. He said the Sindh government had ensured that women got their due share in agricultural land and inherited properties. He said the ownership rights of the majority of the hundreds of thousands of houses being constructed by the Sindh government for the homeless flood victims in the province were being given to affected women to ensure their financial empowerment and autonomy.

The Sindh government had also taken the historical step of giving solar home systems to women from low-income families, the CM mentioned.

Shah vowed that his government would continue to take steps for the provision of more livelihood opportunities and ensure security and progress of women to guarantee their equal status in every walk of life.

In his message on International Women's Day, Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Transport Sharjeel Inam Memon paid tribute to the women who had been actively working to ensure the development, strength and prosperity of society.

He said the leadership of the ruling PPP always stood for striving hard to fulfil the rights of women and ensure their security. He added that in its election manifesto, the PPP had vowed to extend equal rights and opportunities to women for their advancement.

He said former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had introduced the Lady Health Workers' Programme to extend basic health facilities to women in rural and deprived areas. The Lady Health Workers' Programme had been providing basic health services to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable women and children in the country, Memon remarked.

He said the past government of the PPP in the Centre had launched the Benazir Income Support Programme for the financial empowerment of hundreds of thousands of economically disadvantaged women in the country.

The information minister mentioned that the Sindh government had established the first-ever girls' cadet colleagues in Pakistan in Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad.

In his message, Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah said the provincial government would soon launch a dedicated transportation service to ensure easy access of girl students to their schools in the province.