Speakers at a seminar urged the women to play their role in socioeconomic uplift with the tool of education, skills and their rights in order to compete with rest of the world.
They addressed a seminar on gender equality at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. Chairing the session, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that women rights and empowerment was vital to achieve the dream of development. The women comprise 50 percent of the total population. We could not progress without involving them in social and economic life and bringing them into mainstream. He said that the women are excelling in the every field of life. He said that the education works as engine of growth to address social and economic issue. He praised the government for the taking the initiatives for the cause of women emancipation. Talking about UAF initiatives, he said that the UAF had set up a hostel for 1000 girls with the funding of the Punjab Government. It is the largest hostel countrywide. He said that the University was making all-out efforts to provide the modern facilities to the women. The gender ratio in the postgraduate programs is 47 women to 53 men. The Day Care Centre, Women Complex comprising four hostels with state-of-the-art residential and sports facilities, Career Development Centre and working women hostel had been added. MPA Najma Afzal said that said that we will not achieve the sustainable development if we nor achieve gender equality. We should ensure the participation of women farmers in decision making process. She said that women comprise largest percent of the workforce in the agriculture sector. She said that government must address the women needs. She said that the government was committed to provide them their due rights and empower them so that challenges of the modern era. She called for capacity building courses for the women farmers. Dean faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Iqbal Zafar said that women are playing an intensive role model not only as a house keeper but also as the working force in all aspects of life. He said that women farmers were playing an important role for the development of the sector. He said that the women farmers are oppressed segment of the society. The viable government policies would benefit them. He said that rural women should be given being awareness to realize their economic and cultural rights. Dr Saira Akhtar said that women as mothers, sisters and daughters were playing a pivotal role for the development of the country. She stressed upon the need for women empowerment to end the poverty from the country. She said that the nation can’t make the progress without the active participation of women and providing them rights. Dr Abdul Ghafoor stressed upon the need to provide the education for the women which comprises half of population. DDO Community Development Khalid Bashir, Dr Susan from Kenya also spoke on the occasion