Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
International women’s health day
The International women’s health day is commemorated on 28th May with intent to recognize, educate and promote the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) concerns of women.
Studies underline that women are more susceptible to health diseases. Pakistan’s health system is dilapidated, particularly, with excessive maternal mortality ratio, trident of maternal, fatal and child mortality, alarming incidence of breast cancer globally, manifests this claim.
The contraceptive methods, right to abortion, reproductive picks and protection from genital mutilation is foreign to women due to social stigmas, myths, insufficient healthcare service and economic constraints. The taboos pertaining to women’s issues are commonly being transferred throughout generations, which results in downplaying of their symptoms, reluctance in seeking or delaying treatment. The consequences are devastatingly endless. The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe consequences for women’s health.
The viable measures to counter them would be: Media to break bias by selling family plans as a socially and religiously time-honoured exercise. And underlining how child marriages compromise women’s health. High mortality rate can be reduced via advocacy, implementation and change in social behaviour. Empowerment of girls through schooling to make informed choices regarding their SRH concerns. Mental fitness of a woman is as whole lot vital as her bodily well-being. There must be local programs where entrenched schemes could connect human beings. High-end treatments should be reachable through different campaigns in faraway areas.
Pakistan, being a clergy dominated state, requires impetus from this stratum deeply. It is essential to take them on board. A robust government commitment, decentralized control, a shift from physician-dominated system to a customer-focused model. Comprehensive policies, culturally-relevant measures, incorporated diagnostics, skilled personnel and cohesive guidelines with a gendered lens careworn are indispensable.
SUMAN ABBASI
Via email
Secure investment
They tell us that we need to be risk takers and bold in our investment to yield greater revenues. For generations, we keep gold in lockers. Sometimes, we pass it on, as gifts, in inheritance or weddings, seldom we sell it and even then, we call it an investment that grows, it is a myth that we need to stop believing. Gold does not give any return unless it is sold, it has an illusion of being liquid but in the short term if you sell it, melt-down value, wear and tear, handling, etc., it gives only a nominal return on investment.
We need to invest in something which pays us back. Real Estate comes as a saviour, it gives us an opportunity where we can hold an asset, grow it and generate revenue out of it. Real estate can give a steady flow of regular income. Any investment needs research and market study, and goals alignment with actions. There are various ways to invest in real estate, and we can begin growing our assets by beginning with the most suitable ordeal.
Investment in real estate does not require us to be sleuth operators, but we need to dig into questions of ‘How’, ‘What’ and ‘Why’. A study of the market is necessary and for that, proper and guided plans from Real Estate consultant come in handy to reach the desired outcome. With experience to guide and personal action-based strategies, authentic real-estate consultants like AAA Real Estate will guide one in the right direction, in order to inspire appropriate investment decisions.
In the current times, we believe living in a community requires us to be socially responsible. By investing in real estate, you can engage workforce in construction, employ workers to run your property and open various avenues for economic activity.
MUHAMMAD SAGHEER
Islamabad
Rupee depreciation
Currency devaluation depicts poor performance of a country and its economic downturn. It’s an alarming situation in Pakistan as PKR is showing a devaluing trend from the past few years. Its currency value has changed from Rs11 in 1972 to Rs 196 in 2022 against the US dollar. An alarming devaluation has been seen in the past four years from Rs121 to Rs196. The abysmal state of Pakistan’s economy is facing adverse effects from depreciation in PKR.
Currency devaluation is a bad indicator and makes it difficult to meet foreign debt obligations as more Rupees are equal to a dollar. It reduces the cost of a country’s exports, rendering them more competitive in the global market, which, in turn, increases the cost of imports leading to inflation which is a huge pressure for Pakistani citizens as they are already struggling enough to manage day-to-day expenses.
High rate of returns can make foreign investors invest their money in Pakistan which will increase the demand for Pakistan’s currency. Importing less and exporting more can help by positioning local brands in consumer’s minds.
It can make more out of its agricultural sector which will play a role in increasing country’s exports. Pakistan is an oil importing country and rising oil prices is a burden so we should identify cheap alternatives. Today’s world is the world of technology and many countries are on the pinnacle of success due to their increased efforts in tech sectors. Tech based businesses will help in building Pakistan’s economy. Government can support people with extraordinary entrepreneurial ideas by lending them money or by partnering with them by paying them a reasonable salary till the investment starts paying off. We should work together in growing as a nation.
RIMSHA ARSHAD
Islamabad
