ISLAMABAD, June 26 2006: The Ministry of Women’s Development and Youth Affairs has decided to train approximately 28,000 women councillors. The ministry is executing the task under a $4.5 million Norway-funded project titled Women’s Political School (WPS) in collaboration with the UN Development Programme. The programme aims at moulding women councillors into leaders, therefore leading to the development of the whole nation, said Minister for Women’s Development and Youth Affairs Sumaira Malik.

She said that the government was committed to empowering women at grass roots level and the project would go a long way as it had been designed to institutionalise women in public offices, so that their issues were raised and addressed through a public policy. Rehana Hashmi, the National Project Manager, said on June 25 that trained female councillors would have a better understanding of their constitutional and legal rights.

She said that around 400 women councillors had been prepared as master trainers who would impart training to as many as 28,0000 women councillors across the country through a 4-day workshop. She added that from Punjab and Sindh, 130 and 100 master trainers had been taught while 50 and 120 women councillors were groomed as master trainers from Balochistan and the NWFP to train the rest of the councillors.

The training course was prepared by studying course contents of organisations that trained women councillors in the past and includes a comprehensive syllabus in line with the councillorsÂ’ requirements in public offices. The councillors were also being taught about the local government system, including administrative and legislative duties. Besides monitoring committees for utilising local resources, she said, they were also being educated on the basis of the preparation and approval of the budget.
Source: Daily Times
Date:6/26/2006