Speakers urge leaders to include women issues in manifestos

Islamabad : Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Climate Chang, Romina Khursheed Alam has said that health has a direct bearing on the generations to come and the need to take these issues seriously and openly.

Romina was talking at Pakistan’s first ever deliberations on ‘HackThePad: Women Health & Hygiene Conference’ organised by iCube, an organisation working for women empowerment through entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Peace University, USA, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Motorway Police and Young Parliamentarians Forum here at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentarian Services.

Ms Romina said that we need to break social taboos and raise voices that can be heard. She emphasised to raise awareness at the grassroots level for creating an impact. Women in Pakistan, she said, are living a life of fear and subjugation in many forms at many different levels and cannot discuss and talk about the problems they face, hence, a need to break this vicious cycle.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, said that the nation is preparing for the next general elections and political parties are making promises in their respective manifestos. He asked political parties to include women health and hygiene as an election promise in their respective party manifestos. He stressed that we cannot achieve health-related Sustainable Development Goals unless we empower our women by giving them their due rights, providing them education and involving them in the decision-making process.

Ziad Khan, Director, Peace University, USA, said it is unfortunate that women health and hygiene related issues are not talked about or addressed the way they should be and the fact that something as natural as breathing is considered taboo requires all of us to introspect. He said around 97 per cent of the women are victims of malnutrition in Pakistan. Pakistani society is going through formative phase where we have a chance and a responsibility to solve problems through entrepreneurship, technology and advocacy as a personal initiative, he opined.

Dr Mujeeb ur Rehman, Inspector General, Railways Police, said we have to change our attitude and actions towards women and ensure the provision of an enabling working environment where our women can harness their true potential. He said a woman with poor health impacts negatively upon whole family and subsequently affects the whole society.

Khalid Mahmood, Additional IG, Motorway Police, also spoke on the occasion.