PESHAWAR: Girl students showcased their talent at the two-day Women Talent Expo-2017 that concluded at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) here on Wednesday. Several events, including singing competition, cooking, and skits, were arranged at the expo. Students of several girls’ colleges and universities participated in the competitions. Members National Assembly Sajid Nawaz Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Shah Jee Gul Afridi were the chief guests at the concluding ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, university’s Vice-Chancellor Dr Razia Sultana thanked the chief guests and organisers of the expo. She said that SBBWU epitomised women’s empowerment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding that Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa was a vibrant part of the country. Dr Razia said that SBBWU, being an academic institution, imparted knowledge and trained graduates for the market to serve the society in various spheres of life. “Training graduates at multiple levels which includes classroom education and interactive mode and at the same time co-educational mechanism is of vital importance in the SBBWU,” she claimed. She said it was good for girls to perfect their roles in the cultural context, but they must also follow careers. The vice-chancellor called for support of men for women’s education. “Women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are talented but we are short on certain other things, ie narrow perceptions about the women’s role in society,” she remarked. Unless the society comes out of this perception, she said, it could not establish a bright future for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She stressed the need for investment in higher education, specifically women’s education, and change in the mindset for the development of the province.
