Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday said the government was fully committed to empower youth, particularly women by providing them better facilities of education, vocational training, and the latest technology tools so that they could help propel Pakistan on the road to economic progress.
He was speaking at a ceremony to give away “Khatun-e-Pakistan Awards” on the occasion of the International Women Day.
He congratulated the award winners and lauded them for making the name of Pakistan prominent among nations with their efforts and significant contributions.
He said the government was making its utmost efforts to facilitate the female population of the country and protect their rights. International Women’s Day was observed around the world to acknowledge the important role of women in society and Pakistan was not far behind others in providing rights and facilities to women, he added.
He said Pakistan needed to make more policy interventions and provide more resources and opportunities to women.
“We have to provide more opportunities and resources for education and training of women.”
He noted that women all around the world were contributing to the progress and welfare of society, adding there was a need to give women equal opportunities and a better environment at the workplaces so that they could easily contribute to economic progress and development.
He expressed the hope that the provincial governments would take forward the policies for women that were introduced and implemented in the past.
He pledged to make all resources available for women so that they could equip themselves with the latest technology tools. “Women can help make Pakistan a great nation by utilising all available resources,” he remarked.
PM Shehbaz recalled that their previous government passed the law for the inheritance of women, launched Zewar e Taleem programme to retain girl students in schools by giving them scholarships, adding the programme was a great success story and helped in spreading education.
Similarly, Punjab Education Endowment Fund distributed Rs 20 billion among brilliant students who achieved distinction in their education, he said.
He said now the government would establish the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund to support students who excel in their studies but have limited resources to continue further.
His previous government in Punjab also trained youth through vocational programmes in different areas with the cooperation of United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, he recalled.
