Senate body for end to women’s exploitation through media

ISLAMABAD: The Senate standing committee on Women Development demanded an immediate end to exploitation of women in media through advertisement and called for establishing more vocational training centres for women in remote areas of the country.

The body met at the Parliament House on Wednesday and also sought increase in funds meant for economic empowerment of women along with reduction in mark-up rates on loans being sanctioned to women especially the micro-credits by various banks and financial institutions to improve their lot.

It also called for simplification of procedures for obtaining these loans, besides enhancing aid/grant to destitute women by government agencies and departments.

The committee also demanded substantial increase in gender development grants while observing that these were at present merely indicative and not exhaustive specially those meant for skill development, training and legal aid to women.

The body lauded the government initiatives particularly Presidential ordinance about woman prisoners and increase of women quota in CSS exam and termed them landmark achievements.

The body however, urged the government to ensure their implementation in letter and spirit.

Earlier, the Secretary of the Ministry of Women Development made a detailed presentation to the committee members on the steps initiated by the ministry to improve the overall condition of women.

He also apprised them on activities carried out so far on key reforms under Gender Reforms Action Plan (GRAP).

The body called for establishing more vocational training centres for women in remote areas of the country, modification in laws dealing with ‘vinni’ cases and demanded that women centres should remain open 24 hours and their staff be available to extend immediate help to distressed women. The Minister for Women Development Sumaira Malik assured the body that she would herself take up the issue of high mark-up rates

with the senior management of the Khushali Bank with a view to bringing them down to a more reasonable level.

Senator Ms Tahira Latif presided over the meeting. Senators Mrs Fauzia Fakhar-uz-zaman, Mrs Rukhsana Zuberi, Dr Mrs Kausar Firdaus, Ms Sabina Rauf, Minister Ms Sumaira Malik and senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting.