The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, on Tuesday launched the National Gender Policy Framework aimed at providing a structured mechanism with defined objectives for improving the lives of women and providing them with equal opportunities to excel in a professional sphere.
The framework has been put in place in pursuance of a strong commitment to ensuring equal rights for women across the country.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the new framework was essential to provide equal opportunities to all segments of society, particularly women, to prosper and progress. “This framework converts that honest intent into an integrated actionable programme.”
He said Pakistan also faced a challenge on the education front. “Enrollment of girls in schools is very low as compared to boys and the dropout rate is increasing with each passing day,” he added.
Umar said his ministry was also working on a governance mechanism to address shortcomings in the system. He pointed out that the criteria for performance appraisals in organisations were designed in a way that did not take into consideration areas where women could perform better.
“There are challenges like consensus building, helping people hone their skills, and the ability for conflict resolution where women generally excel more,” the minister said.
He 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.”
Umar said there was another challenge related to engagement, political participation and empowerment.
