FAISALABAD

Speakers stressed on the women to play their active role in socioeconomic development of the country with the tool of education, skills and their rights as per injunction of Islam to compete with rest of the world.
They were addressing a divisional level seminar on women empowerment at University of Agriculture Faisalabad to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The seminar was jointly organised by the Social Welfare Department, UAF, and USAID-funded Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security on Monday.
Chairing the session, Commissioner Naseem Nawaz said that Islam attaches great importance to women with excellent rights of inheritance and their role.
The rays of Islam have broken the prejudice against women. He also said as per saying of Quaid-e-Azam, the discrimination against women should come to a close with their rights and active participation in socio-economic activities.
He said that the Punjab Assembly had passed the protection of women against violence bill 2015 which strengthens women in term of remedies for victims of violence etc.
Addressing the seminar, UAF Vice Chancellor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that women were excelling in the every field of life. He said that the education works as engine of growth to address social and economic issue. He said that the empowerment of the women was vital to achieve the dream of development.
Talking about the UAF initiatives, he said that the University was making all-out efforts to provide the modern facilities to the women. The women faculty members are 150 compared to 35 four years ago. 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.
Faisalabad Government College Women University Vice Chancellor Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi said that women were the great asset for the society. They are playing an intensive role model not only as a house keeper but also as the working force in all aspects of life. She said that GCUFW was Faisalabad’s first women university which was taking all possible steps to educate them.
MNA Khalida Mansoor said that women as mothers, sisters and daughters were playing a pivotal role for the development of the country.
MPA Madiha Rana stressed upon the need to provide the education for the women which comprises half of population. Dr Bashir Ahmad said that they were running gender marinating programme under fifty percent quota was reserved for the women in the recruitment and scholarships.
US University of California Dr Nancy said that in the developed countries, the women are standing shoulder to shoulder with men. She stressed the need to increase the literacy rate so that different issues can be addressed.
Social Sciences faculty Dean Dr Iqbal Zafar, Arfa Karim’s mother, Samina Amjad, lecturer Rabia Faredi and other notables also spoke on the occasion.