Govt Firmly Believes In Gender Equality: Minister

The Punjab government firmly believes in gender equality and is consistently trying to build a society based on non-discrimination and equal treatment of both men and women

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Nov, 2017 ) :The Punjab government firmly believes in gender equality and is consistently trying to build a society based on non-discrimination and equal treatment of both men and women.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Hameeda Waheed-ud-Din said this while addressing a launching ceremony of Punjab Commission on the Status of Women's Training of Nikah Registrars and Local Government Officials, arranged at Town Hall here on Tuesday.

The minister said that a Nikahnama could potentially empower a woman and ensure equal rights for men and women alike. She stressed that both men and women should read the Nikahnama in its entirety and understand the significance of rights given through it, including Haq Mehr, the right to delegated divorce and maintenance.

She said that PCSW and the local government department were working together to build capacity of officials within the department. She acknowledged dire need for capacity-building, to ensure better results for women and girls who are forcibly married at a young age.

She said that the objective of the project is to empower women through change in mindset of leaders and influential persons at the grassroots. In this respect, she emphasised the significance of women's participation to boost the well-being of the society at large.

At the occasion, Chairperson PCSW Fauzia Viqar stated that the PCSW would train 47,000 Nikah Registrars, Union Council Secretaries and Chairman on Women's rights, government initiatives to protect women's rights, marriage registration and accurate filling of Nikah Nama.

She told the participants about the core objective of the project, which is sensitisation of stakeholders to women's rights in a marriage and how they can be protected through the Nikah Nama. She said that the duty of a Nikah Registrar is crucial in protection of women's rights because he can inform all parties of their respective rights within marriage and ensure that they are included in the contract as per the wishes of the bride and groom.

Complaints received through PCSW's helpline (1043) depict the frequent incidence of early age marriages in Punjab which can be attributed to financial constraints social pressure and stereotypical values, he added.

Lahore Mayor Col (R) Mubasher Javed reiterated the importance of this strategic partnership between PCSW and LG&RD Department due to which 2371 Nikah Registrars and UC Secretaries and Chairmen were trained in audience of this initiative's plan for upcoming trainings in Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib.

Project Manager TNR PCSW Shahid Iqbal subsequently informed the audience of this initiative's plan for upcoming training in Lahore and Kasure districts. Furthermore, he apprised the audience that Nikah Registrars and Local Government officials from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan and Sargodha Divisions will be trained in the 3rd phase (February to March 2018) of the project.