WUNRN
PAKISTAN - WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS -
WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
VITAL FOR PEACE & SECURITY,
DEVELOPMENT - PRIME MINISTER
Sharafat Kazmi
Islamabad—Prime
Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has reiterated the commitment for social,
political and economic empowerment of women to ensure their active
participation in the national development process.
He was inaugurating three-day women convention on the Role of women
Parliamentarians in peace, security and reconciliation here Tuesday organised
by Women Parliamentarians Caucus.
Gilani said empowerment of women and their role in politics and economy would
not only help bringing peace and promoting reconciliation. He said
participation of the women from SAARC countries will also help further bringing
close the women of the this region to work collectively for the benefit of
humanity in general and protection of women rights in particular.
He said we all have to make joint efforts to give significant role to the women
who represent fifty percent of the population in political decision-making
process that would also help promote peace and reconciliation.
Gilani paid rich tributes to shaheed Benazir Bhutto who played a vital role for
protection of women rights and give them due status in the society. He said it
was shaheed Benazir Bhutto who gave the vision of political reconciliation in
the country that has led to a strong democracy. She also made tremendous
efforts for the rights of women particularly population welfare, ending
domestic violence and provision of employment opportunities to the women.
He expressed the confidence that following the vision of shaheed leader, the
women parliamentarians will make strenous efforts to ensure protection of women
rights particularly the vulnerable. He appreciated the role being played by the
women parliamentarians and other women activists of the civil society to
supplement the government in its efforts to overcome extremism and terrorism.
The Prime Minister said government believes in equal rights in the society
without gender discrimination and it is the PPP which gave first women Prime
Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly to Pakistan and the Musilm world.
He said the government is amending discriminatory laws against women to provide
them equal opportunities in the society to progress.
He said the government has taken a number of steps to improve the lot of women
including implementation of ten percent quota in employment, appointment of
women Ombudsman and constituting women commission. He hoped that the provincial
governments will also appoint women ombudsmen to provide protection to the
women.
In their welcome addresses Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza and
Minister of State for Affairs Ammad Ahmad Khan highlighted the importance of
women participation in national affairs and their economic and political
empowerment for sustainable socio-economic development of the country.
The Prime Minister said the role of women parliamentarians from the SAARC
countries in making peace and promoting reconciliation through dialogue is
important for achieving great progress and to improve the lot of one fifth of
the world population.
The Prime Minister said tension in the region is not helping any country rather
diverting precious resources to non- development sectors and urged for making
every effort to promote peace and reconciliation.
He said many countries including Pakistan have shown that women have become a
central part of the political decision making process and there is a greater
chance for positive socio change for sustainable peace.
He appreciated the role of women parliamentarians for peace and reconciliation
and urged them to recall the legacy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.