Majority of women deprived of economic equality: ICST

Islamabad :Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders (ICST) on Monday said economic exclusion and inequality of women is leading to under development of the country.

Majority of the women still don’t enjoy the basic right of full economic inclusion while the countries that deny women this essential right deprive themselves of sustainable economic development, it said.

Our society, government, and private sector continue to undermine growth and the creation of human capital by ignoring the development of the women, said Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Butt.

A society’s economic growth is stunted when women are excluded or not fully included in the economic system, he added. Shahid Rasheed Butt said that people are always a country’s most valuable resource while nations that exclude women from participating in economic activities are tossing away half of their potential.

He said that around sixty percent working women in Saarc region are linked to agriculture that can be lifted out of poverty if they are supported. All the countries including Pakistan stress importance of female education but their share in the economy is kept very small which is discrimination.

He said that majority of the women working in agriculture are not paid while they are kept away from critical decisions which is unjustified. He said that government should focus on agriculture to support farmers and improve their standard of living. The issues facing this sector should be resolved and provision of loans should be facilitated which will improve lives of millions while boost share of agriculture in the GDP.