LAHORE – Adviser to Prime Minister for Women Development Nilofer Bakhtiar on Monday said business incubators attached to the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry would be introduced to provide required facilities to women engaged in economic activities.

Addressing a seminar on ‘Empowerment of Women’ at the Nipa here on Monday, she briefed the participants about the revolutionary steps being taken by the government to empower women on political, economic and legal fronts for the progress and prosperity of the society.

Nilofer Bakhtiar emphasised that the government provided an opportunity to 36,000 lady councillors to contest elections despite the fact that 79 per cent females, who contested the elections had no experience of politics.

Regarding steps for the economic empowerment of women, she stressed that the availability of loans and several micro-finance schemes would enable them to actively participate in the mainstream economic activities. She observed that Pakistani women were bold enough to talk to media about harassment and other heinous crimes being committed against them. She said seven new crisis centres, being established this year, would be equipped with shelter homes and help line for distressed women.

She said that the Jail Reform Committee had been set up to help women victims needing rehabilitation.

“Such a step will help improve the conditions of female prisoners,” she said, and added that for the first time, honour killing would be treated as murder. She appreciated the role played by the women activists, NGO’s and media in creating awareness about the empowerment of women in the country.

Maj-Gen (retd) Sikander Shami, Director-General Nipa, Zarine Aziz, President First Women Bank, Neelam Hussain and the participants of the 86th advanced course in the public sector management attended the seminar.
Source: The News
Date:9/28/2004