Int’l Women’s Day marked in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Social Welfare, Special Education, and Women Empowerment Department jointly hosted an International Women’s Day (IWD) event with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) and IRC.

The event brought together various stakeholders, including representatives from government departments, academia, and civil society.

During her remarks, Robin Haider, the Secretary of KPCSW, discussed the Commission’s efforts to promote women’s empowerment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The director programme of KPCSW provided an overview of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s initiatives benefiting women, such as the Sehat Sahulat Card, the Bus Rapid Transit of Peshawar, and special emphasis projects like double shifts to promote girls’ education.

The event included a panel discussion titled “Invest in Women - Accelerate Progress” and poetry by renowned Pashto poet Dr Salma Shaheen.

Arab Shah, a rickshaw driver known for providing free pick and drop services to girl students in Peshawar, was honoured with an award and cash prize by the department as a male champion for girls’ education.In her remarks, the chief guest, Secretary Social Welfare Dr Anila Mahfooz Durrani, highlighted the department’s comprehensive services for women empowerment in the province, including the Bolo Helpline, 10 Darul Amans, and industrial training centres.

She announced an upcoming drug rehabilitation and detox center for women named “EmpowerHer”. Dr Durrani emphasised the importance of collective efforts from all segments of society to achieve the goal of women’s empowerment. The event concluded with a cake cutting ceremony.