Many initiatives taken for women empowerment

Islamabad : The incumbent government has taken many initiatives to empower women and eliminate different forms of discrimination and violence against them in all its manifestations.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also recognises the importance of empowering women and stresses for achieving gender equality, empowering all women and girls, according to official document.

It said the government was fully cognizant of its constitutional responsibilities for protecting the rights of the women and had allocated resources in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for promotion and protection of women through various initiatives.

According to the document, the federal ombudsperson for protection of women against harassment at Workplace had been established and was functional at federal and provincial level.

Likewise, the Help-Line (1099) for legal advice on human rights violation was operational and had provided legal aid services to more than 5000 beneficiaries of human rights violation cases till the present.

In addition, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), a continued social protection program of the government was providing social assistance to women.

The Pakistan Baitul Mal had also established women empowerment centres/schools throughout the country including Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas to provide free training to widows, orphans and poor girls in different skills.

Domestic skills are also being imparted in these schools through Individual Financial Assistance (IFA) while the poor, widows, destitute women, orphans and disabled persons were being supported through general assistance, education, medical treatment and rehabilitation.