F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has said that ensuring the rights and welfare of women is basic responsibility of the government and essential need of a welfare society. He said the provincial government has taken drastic steps for protection and rights of women that loudly speak the strong commitment of his government.
He said that provincial cabinet has recently approved the amendments in the “Protection against Harassment of Women at Work place Act, 2010” which will definitely reduce and curb the menace of Harassment of Women at Workplaces. Similarly he said, Provincial Government has also enacted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women Act 2016 to make the Women Commission financially and administratively autonomous. Besides, he said, for the welfare of widows and dispossessed people, the Provincial Government has promulgated the Lissaail-e-Wal Mahroom Foundation Act, 2015. Provincial Government has also enacted the senior citizen Act, 2014 for the welfare of Senior Citizens of the province, he added. “In the next phase, two bills namely Domestic Violence and Burn Prevention & Rehabilitation will soon be enacted by the provincial government to create exploitation and violence free congenial atmosphere for women folk”, he said adding that establishing a toll free helpline “Bolo and Badlo” in the Directorate of Social Welfare, Special Education & Women Empowerment Department Peshawar for reporting the cases of gender based violence throughout the province is also a hallmark step.
He was addressing the certificates distribution ceremony among members of district committees of the Commission for Status of Women at Chief Minister House Peshawar. The function was also addressed by Mrs. Neelam Toru, Chairperson of the commission as well as Deputy Speaker KP Assembly Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani and Provincial Minister for Information Shah Farman Khan, who highlighted various features of the 16 days activism campaign of the commission for rights of women and steps of KP government in this regard.
Pervez Khattak while terming the establishment of district committees under the commission for status of women a good omen and felicitated chairperson of the commission and her team for such a major step for Pakistani women. He said that empowering women is essential for a balanced society and priority of his provincial government.
Pervez Khattak said Provincial Government acknowledged the fact that advancement of women’s rights is a critical precondition for effective and sustainable development. Therefore, women empowerment is one of the primary focuses of the Provincial Government which is committed to take affirmative action to achieve this goal. He said the current provincial government has taken a number of steps and initiated many programs in education and health sectors, governance, access to legal justice and increasing employment opportunities for women. However, he maintained, there is still a long way to go.
Pervez Khattak said that Women Empowerment Policy has been recently launched for improving the overall status of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through their socio-economic, political and legal empowerment. Its salient features include provision of quality health care, reducing gender gap in education, creation of employment and income generation opportunities to encourage their equal participation in all political processes and to ensure elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls through legislation and its effective implementation.
The Chief Minister said provincial government is well-aware of the fact that the working women of the society face multiple challenges in their day to day affairs especially with regard to their residential facility. For the purpose, the Provincial Government has established two working women hostels in Peshawar and Mardan while one in District Swat has also been included in the current year ADP 2017-18. He said the Provincial Government has also established a “Day Care Center” in the premises of the Civil Secretariat Peshawar for the working women which will soon be inaugurated and made functional. He said apart from the existing nine welfare homes already established in the province, the Provincial Government has also established two more welfare homes for destitute and orphans in District Hangu and Swabi. He said the Provincial Government has established one Darul Aman at District Mansehra while two more at District Chitral and Bannu are included in the current year ADP 2017-18. He hoped that all these achievements of the Provincial Government will bring a positive change towards Women related issues and implementation of Women Empowerment Policy will come up to the expectations and desired goals. He hoped that the district committees would play its due role in ensuring rights and welfare of women especially reporting the violation cases against women especially the girls.
