KARACHI       -         Provincial Minister for Women Development Syeda Shahla Raza has said that the Sindh Assembly has enacted a number of laws to protect women from harassment and other crimes.

“All sections of the society will have to play their role in implementing these laws,” she said while addressing the function held in connection with the publication of annual report under the Sindh Human Rights Commission.

Syeda Shahla Raza said that there empowering women economically was need of the hour. “In this regard, the present Sindh government has formed Women’s Economic Empowerment Council, which includes individuals from civil society and industries,” she said, and added that the Poverty Reduction Programme was launched across the province under which women were getting all kinds of benefits.

She said that as in other countries, inflation and unemployment were the main causes of crimes in the country.

She said that today women of Thar were playing their role in the development of the province and the country in the fields of health, engineering, as midwives and in other capacities.

The provincial minister informed the participants that the Women’s Complaint Cell was functioning in 14 districts of Sindh.

She stressed that police would have to play a proactive role to solve the problems of women.

Earlier, Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairperson Majida Rizvi briefed the participants about the performance and annual report of the commission.

Anisa Haroon, former judge Shah Nawaz Tariq and others also addressed the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for Women Development, Syeda Shahla Raza, while addressing a seminar organised by the Women Logistics and Transport Pakistan in collaboration with the US Consulate, has said that the present government should provide women with equal opportunities in every field of life. “While the laws are being amended for improvement in women’s lives, and new laws have been enacted by the Sindh Assembly such as the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Domestic Violence Prevention Act and the Harassment at Workplace Act, women of the province are feeling more secure and economically better now as compared to the past. There is a scope for further improvement in this regard and the present Sindh government is ensuring gender equality.”

She said that in order to further improve the lives of domestic workers, there is a need for development of women’s capacities.

The women development department is working in this regard and in the first phase, about 7,000 women and their families will be provided with the facilities under the project.

On the occasion, the provincial minister distributed shields among the women belonging to the transport sector.