News
Monday, June 17, 2013
Women empowerment urged to enhance economic activity
KARACHI: Global Compact Pakistan and Employers Federation of Pakistan launched Seven Principles of Women Empowerment under the theme ‘Equality Means Business’, at a ceremony here on Sunday.
The seven principles urged business, academia and civil society to empower women so that they can fully participate in all sectors and levels of economic activity. This will turn out to be an essential initiative for establishing a stable and just society in the country, it said.
Vice Chairman House of Habib, Sohail Ahmed, in his keynote speech emphasised that instead of putting women in womanly jobs, business should be friendlier for creating an environment in which women can freely think, operate and contribute to achieve business growth and sustainability.
President of the Steering Committee Ahsanullah Khan said launching of the seven principles of women empowerment is aimed to help private sector to focus on key elements integral to promoting gender equality at the work place, market place and community.
Advisor at Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Dr Shahida Saleem said that empowerment is the sum of means plus skills, plus accountability, and business to empower women must provide all the three to benefit from their potential to contribute to its growth. She assured full support of FPCCI in helping private sector play its pivotal role in embracing the principles of women empowerment.
Dr Shahida Sajjad, representing the Employers Federation of Pakistan, quoted global instances of how business benefited themselves by empowering women. Companies have been able to achieve more than 30 percent profit due to women who genetically work with partnership, she said.
President All Pakistan Trade Union Congress Shaukat Ali urged for more induction of women in executive bodies of trade unions. He also called for more women representation at the enterprise level institutions, which will create more viable opportunities for women empowerment.
Earlier, Secretary of the Local Network Fasihul Karim Siddiqi introduced the Seven Principles of Women Empowerment as a partnership initiative by the UN Women and the UN Global Compact.
These principles, he elaborated, in fact provide a seven-step guideline for how a vibrant business environment can be created for deriving maximum benefit from equitable gender empowerment as a guarantee for sustainable growth.
He called upon private and public sector business, government, workers and employer bodies, academia, media, judiciary, professional organisations and civil society to join hands in promoting these principles to strengthen our initiative to build a just, stable and socially responsive society.
Other notables also addressed the launching ceremony, which was largely attended by representatives of business, workers, academia and civil society. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk