KP govt urged to take concrete steps for empowering women

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).

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 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.