NCSW stresses women’s safe, free participation in polls

LAHORE: National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) Secretary Khawaja Imran Raza has said women must feel safe and secure to freely participate in the general election and the state institutions must ensure a non-discriminatory and protected environment for them to exercise their right to vote.

He was delivering his inaugural address at a two-day 21st Inter-Provincial Ministerial Group conference, hosted by the NCSW in collaboration with the UN Women here the other day.

NCSW Chairperson Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, UN Women Country Representative Ms. Sharmeela Rasool, and US Consul General Ms. Kristin Hawkins also spoke. Minister for Human Rights Khalil George attended the conference.

The federal secretary said national narrative of women empowerment should be followed based on gender equality, equal rights, and equal opportunities. Nowhere women should be discriminated against and nowhere they should face harassment or violence.

Later, Kh Imran Raza told the media that due to Pakistan’s national and international commitments, the NCSW was mandated to protect, advance, and promote equal rights for women and ensure that they were not exploited or abused, beguiled, or tricked.

He said that as per the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) commitments and as enshrined in the Constitution of 1973, it was obligatory on the state apparatus to ensure that women and girls participation in politics andelections should be free from any discriminatory practice.

Khawaja Imran said that during the upcoming elections, all government functionaries must provide fair and impartial treatment to all women candidates, supporters, and voters so that they could exercise their free will. He said that gender parity and women empowerment goals were not only a moral imperative, but it was also fundamental catalysts for social, economic, political, and cultural advancement in the country.