The Punjab Government has introduced comprehensive reforms package to empower and strengthen the womenfolk so that they could fully exploit their potential and play the due role in national development. This package is blend of administrative and legal reforms; and is a comprehensive roadmap, which has put the country to progress. Now, Pakistan is known for its conducive environment towards the womenfolk.
Punjab Woman Development Minister Hameeda Waheeduddin said this while addressing the daycare’s inauguration ceremony at the Punjab Education Foundation head office on Wednesday. Chairman Qamar ul Islam Raja and MD Tariq Mahmood, besides a large number of female staff, also attended the ceremony. The daycare is setup through financial support from the Women Development Department.
The Minister gave a detailed overview of different steps taken by the Punjab government to strengthen the overall status of women in the society. She said that 56 daycares have already been set up in different government departments in the Punjab. An amount of Rs. 900 million has been earmarked for the construction of working women hostels, and it is satisfying that these hostels have already been set up in 16 different districts. Similarly, family court complexes have been constructed in ten districts while land has been identified in seven other districts for setting up family courts. She told that women help desks have been established in 680 police stations in the province, where women staff is available to facilitate the female visitors. It is good to note that nine thousand canteens have been managed by the female contractors in girls’ schools in different districts. The Minister maintained that land revenue related amendments, including provision of equal inheritance rights, have elevated the societal status of the women at the grassroots and given them new hopes and a resilient confidence. As majority of the population resides in the rural hinterlands, therefore, 12 thousand animals have been given to the women having less than one acre land so that they could earn some extra livelihood through this livestock facility, she added.
Chairman PEF Qamar ul Islam said that Punjab Education Foundation has been working hard to help elevate women’s status through education, adding that 45 percent student beneficiaries are girls. We have ensured conducive atmosphere for girl students in PEF partner schools. Our programs in Cholistan’s desert area are very useful for the local communities as free education is now available in their areas. MD PEF Tariq Mahmood said that women are working as Board Members and at other positions of importance in the foundation. He said that PEF has encouraged girls’ education by helping in opening partner schools at the doorsteps of the needy communities who cannot afford sending their girls afar. We are keen to promote girls’ education and different public private partnership based programs have proved very helpful in enhancing girls’ literacy, he added.
Later, Provincial Minister Hameeda Waheeduddin inaugurated the daycare and appreciated the availability of quality facilities in a clean environment.