Pakistan launches national gender policy framework to empower women

Pakistan on Tuesday launched the country's National Gender Policy Framework, an initiative aiming to empower women across the nation and intensify the gender's participation in the public sphere.

The framework, which was launched on the occasion of International Women's Day, was prepared by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and unveiled by the minister of the department Asad Umar at a press conference here.

This framework aims at providing equal opportunities to all segments of society, particularly women, to prosper and progress, Umar said during the launch.

Umar during the unveiling of the framework stressed the need for the implementation of legislation that had been enacted to ensure gender equality.

"If a person doesn't feel protected then he/she cannot work to the best of their potential," he said.

He said that increasing women's participation in the public sphere was an important goal, stressing that it should be addressed in a systematic way rather than on wishes.

Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Lieutenant General Nigar Johar, who is the first-ever female general to be appointed the colonel commandant of Army Medical Corps, and several other dignitaries also attended the ceremony.

The International Women's Day was observed throughout the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing an event in Rawalpindi said that empowerment of women was a key to success.

Our country cannot progress unless the women are educated," he said, adding that the parents should send their daughters to schools.

The Foreign Office in a statement on the occasion paid tribute to the women around the world whose resilience, sacrifices and efforts have made it possible for humankind to progress and build a better future for all.

No society or nation can succeed and achieve sustainable development without realisation of gender equality and women empowerment, it said.

Separately, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said it was a day to honour women from all walks of life, adding it was also the right of every woman to demand rights and work for her development.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said every woman was the epitome of strength and courage.

"To every woman out there... You define the very fabric of society. You make the world beautiful. It is said that being a woman itself is a superpower. Make the most of it. You go girls," she wrote in a message on Twitter.

According to a report of the Aurat Foundation, a Pakistani NGO working for rights of women, almost 70 per cent of women in Pakistan have been victims of domestic violence, at least once in their lives.

This violence is generally committed by their intimate partners husbands. These figures, however, do not include psychological violence, which is even more common in urban communities.