A seminar on Gender Equality in sustainable development goals programming was organized in collaboration with Department of Planning Gilgit-Baltistan and UNDP Pakistan.
Senior policy makers of Gilgit-Baltistan government and other stakeholders while discussing Gender Equality said that Gender equality is central status to the 2030 global agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On this occasion, the participants added that in the context of development planning and programming, gender expertise is indispensable to advance progress on the SDGs.
Addressing the session, Additional Chief Secretary Development Gilgit-Baltistan Aziz Ahmed Jamali said that mainstreaming gender concerns in planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation is key to achieving SDGs goals.
He further said that it is very important to empower women who play an important role in the economic development of the society as a whole, as an educated mother is capable of making better decisions regarding the health and education of the child.
He further said that there is also a need to highlight or plan for enhancing the gender skills of employees at the national or provincial level.
On this occasion, Secretary Interior Gilgit-Baltistan Iqbal Hussain Khan, Secretary Information Momin Jan, Secretary Water and Power Zafar Waqar Taj, Secretary Information Technology Azam Khan, Secretary Excise and Taxation Mansoor Alam, Senior Advisor UNDP Pakistan Dr. Farzana Bari, and other participants discussed gender issues. Equality was discussed extensively.
It should be noted that Senior Gender Adviser, UNDP Pakistan, Dr. Farzana Bari is organizing seminars and other events specially on gender equality with the aim of mainstreaming gender in policies, programs and planning.