‘No progress until women given voice, choice’

Islamabad : There is no prosperous future in Pakistan without giving women a voice and choice, said British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner CMG.

"I have met many brilliant Pakistani women and I’m impressed by their stories of resilience, hard work and creativity. As the British high commissioner, I plan to use my time here to promote the UK’s commitment to advance gender equality. I will work to ensure that more women in Pakistan are heard and have voice in decision-making; I will work to get more girls into schools – and support financial inclusion of women, because an equal world is an enabled world,” he told women parliamentarians during a forum held here to mark International Women’s Day.

The British High Commission arranged the event bringing together eight lawmakers - from a range of parties and regions - to discuss and share their stories as political leaders.

The discussion focused around three thematic areas, including gender inclusivity, women leadership and enabling environment, and was attended by Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, Senator Sitara Ayaz, MNA Mehnaz Aziz, MNA Andleeb Abbas, MNA Maleeka Bokhari, MNA Shunila Ruth, MNA Nafisa Shah and MNA Naz Baloch.

The British high commissioner celebrated and paid tribute to the women parliamentarians.

Meanwhile, the envoy issued a video message on the International Women’s Day which included a pledge to not participate on all-male panels.