Anisa terms education as key for socio-economic uplift
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister of State forInformation and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli onFriday underlined education as a key policy instrument to achieve enhanced socio-economic and political empowerment of women.
“The present government is following a multi- sectoral approach to bring women - half of country’s population - at par with their male colleagues in all spheres of life, with education being a key element of the strategy.”
Anisa Zeb said chairing a session titled “Displacement, Livelihoods and Rights: Gendered Experiences” on the last day of a three-day Eighth Sustainable Development Conference, organized bySustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.
The session held in-depth discussion on the subject with speakers including Prof. Ameena Mohsin from Dhaka University, Naila Hussain and Farwa Zafar highlighting various aspects of women rights and vulnerability in their presentations. Saeed Shafqat spoke on the occasion as discussant.
The Minister of State said, the government is following a multi-pronged strategy in coordination with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for integration of women in mainstream and in all spheres of lifethrough socio-economic and political empowerment. She in this regard referred to government’s devolution of power programme and the unprecedentedparticipation of women in all tiers of politics from local bodies to provincial and national assemblies.
“Though, 73 women out of a total of 342 members in the National Assembly are not enough to make an enactment of a law, but they can voice their concerns and lobby for their rights.”
Anisa Zeb also referred to the unprecedented 33% women participation in local government and informed that 27,000 women were elected as councillors in the previous local government elections.
She said, it was a major step forward to eliminate gender discrimination and to provide equal opportunities of socio-economic development to them.
Similarly, Anisa said, the enhanced allocation of funds in education and health sectors would provide increased education and medical facilities to women, particularly in the rural areas.
The Minister of State said, a lot of change with regard to policy measures for women empowerment have taken placeduring last six years under the able leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. She said, the women unlike past are now being encouraged by the government to avail soft term micro- credit facilities from Khushali Bank, SMEDA, SME Bank and through NGOs and CSOs.
The Minister urged the CSOs and NGOs to play their effective role in creating awareness among women, particularly in backward areas of their due social and political rights. Anisa Zeb appreciated the SDPI for organizing the conference and said it would help the government and policy makers to take care of the problems of women in future policy initiatives.