ISLAMABAD: Dilemma confronting female officers in promotion matters created ripples in bureaucracy after a senior officer as a protest submitted her resignation with the Establishment Division (ED), a move shocked many civil servants in Ministry of Maritime Affairs.
Shazia Rizvi, a BS-20 officer, was serving in Ministry of Maritime Affairs and one day out of sudden sought premature retirement by writing a letter to Secretary ED. The weeklong research conducted by this correspondent on women officers’ issues revealed that female civil servants have had significantly less promotion at work than men officers to be offered promotions.
“Women in government offices are facing discrimination — majority of women representing different departments and cadres have been denied due rights linked to promotion, key postings, etc — Shazia Rizvi is prime example of it,” a senior female officer told this correspondent on Sunday. “Madam Rizvi topped civil service exam in 1991 and her retirement was due in 2029. She, as a woman, was facing many issues created by men colleagues. Her early retirement is vital move which rang alarm bells in civil service,” she further revealed.
Women were two thirds less likely to get promoted in recent five years as compared to male officers in different cadres, ministries, departments and divisions, revealed the research reviewing official record and women’ interviews. Some 67 women officers in the Capital Development and Administration Division (CAAD), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), Establishment/Cabinet Division, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and 14 federal ministries and divisions were declared misfit for promotion, reasons better known by their departments. But official record of these women officers showed they have had excellent career profiles and performance and around a dozen women cases are in the courts.
There are around nine women officers in federal ministries, NAB, Nadra, Foreign Office and Ministry of Industries who had filed sexual harassment appeals either with the departments concerned or with the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women (FOPHW) as well. The research further revealed that there were many departments, where women officers qualify for top position but junior male officers continue to occupy their posts.
The case of CADD Deputy Director General Shabana Saleem (now at National Ministry of Health - NHSR&C) is the prime example of this discrimination. The lady officer, who got her education from University of London, has been working in grade 19 since 2007 in Ministries of Population Welfare and Health but her case was never sent to the Central Selection Board (CSB) even though she qualified for BS-20 since 2010 having an excellent career. She plans to knock at the door of the court after being not heard by other forums. “Secretary Health regretted Mrs Saleem’s application seeking sending her file for meeting of CSB scheduled on 29th January, 2020 — giving any reason,” revealed a senior officer. Her department never responded to Geo News’ queries.
Similarly, Saira Imdad Ali, a competent female officer at Ministry of Industries, was facing such discrimination and her right of promotion was also being denied. Her appeal against sexual harassment is also being taken up this week by Kashmala Tariq, FOPHW Chairperson against a senior diplomat, who, despite facing serious sexual harassment charges, got promotion to BS-22, said the lady officer.
In yet another case, NAB withheld promotion of Subana Rafiq, BS-17 who was raising her voice against discrimination within the bureau. “[Subana’s promotion was withheld] for a period of three years w.e.f. March 7, 2020 — withholding of annual increment for a period of three years with immediate effect,” said a NAB lady employee quoting the notification issued by Muhammad Shoaib, NAB Deputy Director. There were around a dozen female employees of NAB who were facing inquiries, even a lady prosecutor Ms Noreen Sardar was fired from service, added the female officer.
Another senior lady officer of Secretariat Group went on long leave because she was planning to quit her service due to gender discrimination she was facing within top management. “I’m disappointed with this attitude. I do not see many more promotion by 2025 as many groups have had little slots for BS-22 & BS-21,” she told this correspondent seeking anonymity.
There were other women officers like BISP Director, Dr Ambreen, Dy. Director, NHSR&C, Dr Faiza, Dy. Director, M/o NHSR&C, Dr Sofia Younis, Dy Director, NHSR&C, Dr Farah Mazhar, Asstt. Director M/o NHSR&C, recently went to Islamabad High Court for promotion), Nageena Akhtar, Dy Director BISP and Mrs Ghazala Basheer, Dy Director, Ministry of NHSR&C were struggling for their promotional matters. However, any other lady officer when asked the same question of discrimination said, “I have not been deprived of my due rights. Because I’m a woman rather I must say if ever I had a problem that was due to my own gender, women had more issues than the men. I must say one thing in the service career of 28 years I found men more respectful and giving me honour as a woman because I proved my worth in professionalism never seemed any favours because I’m a woman.”
Establishment Division Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir, when contacted, said: "Shazia Rizvi was not promoted because of a pending NAB reference against her. She is being posted in Karachi as per her request."
"There is no discrimination on gender basis. Officers, both male and female, are not promoted for reasons. I can only respond on case to case basis," he responded when asked why were women officers facing discrimination in promotional matters.
