HARIPUR: The speakers at a commemorative event on Monday expressed the resolve to promote gender equality, protecting women’s rights, through coordinated efforts by the civil society actors and government departments.
The event was jointly organized by the Social Welfare, Special Education and Women Empowerment Department and Jared Welfare Organization in connection with the International Women’s Day here.
The representatives from the civil society organizations, Elementary and Secondary Education department, Population Welfare department and lawyers were in attendance on this occasion.The speakers said that the theme for this year “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” lay emphasis on the importance of increasing investment in women’s empowerment as a key driver of sustainable development and inclusive growth.
The theme, they said, calls upon government, civil society, international organization and the private sector to accelerate efforts for improving women’s access to their fundamental rights of education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and the leadership roles.
They discussed in detail the hiccups in the way to achieving the objective of women empowerment and stressed on the need to develop a support mechanism ensuring an harassment free environment for women workers at workplaces, providing them opportunities to contribute their physical and intellectual input in the economic development of their families and over all society.
District Officer Social Welfare Sana Iqbal shared the steps the provincial government was taking for the purpose of women empowerment, their protection against gender based violence and psychosocial assistance to the victims of violence.
She also stressed on the need of making the committees already constituted for women’s rights, as functional and result oriented. “But this objective could only be achieved through coordinated efforts on the part of social activists and the line departments”, she observed.
Sajida Hasrat Khan, Tehseen Ul Haq Awan, Gulnaz Rasheed, Riasat Khan, Nazia Khan, Dr Irfan Nasir, Mukhtar Javed and Omar Javed were among those who spoke to participants.
