IT is encouraging to note that 70 out of 137 probationers included in the 53rd Common Training Programme (CTP) at the Civil Service Academy, Lahore, are women hailing from remote and conflict-affected areas.
Many women officers belong to districts with historically limited access to basic education and state infrastructure, speaking volumes about growing awareness to educate girls and allow them to participate in the process of nation-building. It is significant to note that the batch includes 18 officers from Balochistan, 5 from ex-FATA, 10 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 37 from urban and rural Sindh. By contrast, only 11 officers in this batch are from Punjab, illustrating a significant rebalancing of regional representation.
Women constitute fifty percent of the country’s population and the development indicates they are poised to claim their share in shaping the destiny of the nation. This is mainly because of positive changes in social taboos as more and more parents are opting for education of their daughters like their sons and encouragement on the part of the State to promote merit and encourage women to enter in professions that were previously considered as “no go areas” for them. It is because of this that Pakistan had the distinction of having first woman Prime Minister in the Islamic world, Women Speakers of provincial and national legislatures, federal and provincial ministers, a significant number of law-makers and women serving as successful heads of important ministries including foreign affairs, law and education. It would not be an exaggeration to say that women are now positively influencing the policy formulation and decision-making processes, which augurs well for the country. As for this batch of CSS, it is hoped that when in active service, they will help introduce innovative and home-grown ideas to bring backward areas into national mainstream and accelerate the process of socio-economic transformation.
