Bilawal urges legislation for women empowerment

ISLAMABAD: The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the country cannot progress at its full potential as a nation until it pulls out itself from the list of most dangerous countries in the world for women through stronger legislation and its implementing mechanism.

In connection with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women being observed on Monday (today) all over the world, the PPP chairman in his message said honour-killings, domestic violence, harassment at work places and other crimes against women were a real daub on the countries continuously failing in protection of their womenfolk.

Bilawal pointed out that Sindh was leading other provinces in carrying out legislation for providing legal protection to women. “I am told that Sindh is the only province where violence against women has been declared criminal offence and courts are bound to decide such cases within 90 days,” he said while pin-pointing the reports that conviction ratio in cases of violence against women was merely 2.5 percent in the country.

The PPP chairman further said the PPP was pioneer of the struggle for women rights and it even elected a woman - Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto - as Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first-ever directly-elected woman prime minister in the Muslim world as well.

“Shaheed Benazir Bhutto inducted women in judiciary, established First Women Bank and separate police stations for women besides exclusive welfare and health programmes for women," she said. Bilawal said that he has been informed that key legislation tools for ensuring protection to women were in the process in Sindh which includes Dowry Act, marriage-related issues, acid-throwing and harassment at work places. Sixty cases have been registered in Sindh regarding early marriages.

The PPP chairman stressed that the federal as well as other provincial governments need to give priority to practical steps to stop violence against women so that the country is no more among the list of most dangerous countries in the world for women besides creating an environment of security and safeguards for them to work shoulder to shoulder with men in nation-building.