Senators Express Concern Over Present Status Of Women

The Senators across the political divide on Friday expressed concern on the present status of women and stressed that the government should take more measures for their socio-economic uplift and financial empowerment

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jan, 2020 ) :The Senators across the political divide on Friday expressed concern on the present status of women and stressed that the government should take more measures for their socio-economic uplift and financial empowerment.

While discussing a motion during the proceeding of the Senate on the annual report of the National Commission on the Status of Women for the year 2017, Senator Waleed Iqbal said women of Pakistan lagged behind in terms of access to education, health and economic and political participation. He said there was income disparity and women were getting less opportunities than the male population. He asked the political parties to bring forth laws in the provinces for ensuring the right of inheritance for women. There was already a law to protect women's right to inheritance in the capital territory.

Senator Nuzhat Sadiq underscored the need for concerted efforts to help women to move forward in all spheres of socioeconomic life. She said the government of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had allocated 50 percent quota of youth loans for women.

She said women were facing issues of malnutrition, rapes, acid attacks and domestic violence.

She said in the report it was mentioned that more resources were needed to work for the well being of women. The government should provide a conducive environment so that the Commission could further work to protect rights of women, she added.

Senator Seemi Ezdi read out details given in the report about steps taken by the governments and institutions for empowering women.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed pointed the fact that women were confined in miserable conditions in jails. The government and state should take steps to stop the rising incidents of violence and more opportunities should be created for women in the fields of education, health and economy, he asserted.

Senator Mohsin Aziz said women should be given rights according to values embedded in our society, culture and civilization. He said women were not getting their rights in the backward and rural areas of Pakistan.

Senator Sherry Rehman and Senator Pir Sabir Shah also strongly spoke in favour of securing rights for women.

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