Govt committed to improve status of women: minister
PESHAWAR: Information Minister KP Shaukat Yusufzai on Tuesday said his government was committed to improve the status of women, says a press release.
He was addressing an event jointly organized by UN Women and Special Education, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department (SESWWED) in connection with International Women’s Day.
The minister appreciated the efforts of UN Women and Social Welfare Department for organizing the event. He said, “It is important to celebrate the day, but what is more important is to continue supporting women in order to help them reach their full potential.
Government has taken certain steps in this regard i.e. the women empowerment policy is under implementation, pending legislations will be approved and new laws will be introduced to ensure women rights are safeguarded.”
Secretary SESWWED Muhammad Idrees Khan Marwat said the department was working towards women empowerment. “We are sensitizing all other government entities to make sure gender sensitive planning and budgeting is taking place at their level,” he remarked.
Zainab Qaiser Khan, Head of Sub Office UN Women Peshawar, talked about the work of UN Women to advance gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. She said that UN Women is committed to end violence against women and upgrading the shelter homes to provide shelter to women survivors of violence. “We are working very closely with the Social Welfare department for re-activation of CEDAW Committee in the province,” she shared.
Rukhshanda Naz, human rights activist, has been appointed as the first provincial Ombudsperson under the Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 for dealing with the harassment cases at workplaces in public and private sector institutions in the province.
The ombudsperson’s office is being set up at Secretariat of Special Education, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department, Peshawar.