March 07 , 2016
News
PM to unveil policy to empower women
‘Historical document consists of various women friendly initiatives’
APPISLAMABAD – National Women Empowerment Policy 2016 to be unveiled on March 8 in connection with the International Women Day, will help change the living standards of women through ensuring their financial empowerment.
In an interview, Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Human Rights Barrister Zafarullah said that the Women Empowerment Policy would help ensure social rights of women, financial stability and extend maximum facilities to them at workplace.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would unveil the policy on the day and it would bring real empowerment of women, he said. Head of Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs Maryam Aurangzeb said that the policy consisting of various women friendly initiatives would be a unique and historical document.
She said that the present government had envisioned to make women financially empowered through ensuring their fair representation in every sphere of life. She emphasised on involving women at decision making level, saying merely imparting vocational training to them in different trades was not enough for their empowerment. “Women's real empowerment lies in their financial uplift,” she said.
"Going through the draft of package, I feel that it addresses all the issues being faced by the working women including daycare centres, extension in maternity leave, increasing job quota, job security and others. The real impact of women empowerment cannot be visible unless they are financially empowered, she added.
Pakistan had signed various women related conventions at international level which were essential to be complied. These conventions were also integrated in the upcoming women policy, she added. MNA Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak said that Pakistan was a country where women needed opportunities to earn a respectful livelihood and shared the burden of their male counterparts.
She appreciated the passage of ‘Protection of Women against Violence Bill’ by the Punjab Assembly and termed it a good step for the safety of women. MNA Maiza Hameed said that the upcoming women package would introduce various initiatives for women across Pakistan. She said that increasing job quota for women with relaxation in age limit and making the daycare centres mandatory in public and private departments were few of the initiatives.
Other initiatives included loan scheme for women to start small business to make them self-sufficient, increasing women quota in scholarship schemes, youth programme and vocational training programmes. She said that the centres to be established in Punjab under the ‘Protection of Women against Violence Bill’ would also be extended to Islamabad in future.
MNA Shazia Fatima Khawaja said introducing women protection bill was a major development and it would address the issues of domestic violence. Although the bill, she said, had received mixed comments from different sections of society but women had started registering complaints which was encouraging. Similarly, parliament, women caucus and young parliamentarian forum were also working actively for ensuring the rights of women, she added.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk