Women’s role vital for progress: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the targets of development cannot be achieved without bringing women, who constitute a major portion of country’s population, into national mainstream.
He said that Pakistani women are very talented and playing an important role in education, health, information technology, banking, engineering and other sectors. He said the provincial government had taken historic decisions for development of women, protection of their rights as well as economic empowerment. He said that special centres would be set up for providing immediate justice to the women who were subjected to violence and the first centre was being set up in Multan.
He said women would be deputed at these special centres and police, prosecution, medical and forensic facilities would be available under one roof at these centres. He said this first and unique centre of South Asia would play an important role in addressing the women’s complaints.
According to a handout issued here Sunday, the chief minister was talking to a delegation of PML-N women assembly members.He said that women played a key role in the evolution of a society; instead of sitting at homes after completing education, women should join the practical field and contribute to national development and prosperity. He said employment quota for women in government jobs had been increased up to 15 percent while a three-year relaxation in age limit was also being given to women for giving them more job opportunities.
He said the government’s decision to give 33 percent representation to women in all decision-making boards and committees would result in their effective participation in decision-making process. He said daycare centres were being set up in all government and non-government institutions with daycare fund while the law regarding protection of women against harassment at workplace had also been enforced.
He said that legislation had been undertaken to ensure the right of women in inheritance. He said that steps would be taken with the consultation of women for their development and empowerment.Women assembly members said the historic steps taken by the Punjab government for women empowerment would yield positive results.