Economic Empowerment Vital for Women: Nilofer

Faiza Gilani

Muzaffarabad: Economic empowerment for women is more than a goal, it stands as a potent instrument for eliminating poverty, said National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar.

Let’s allocate resources to education and entrepreneurship and ensure equal opportunities for women across the board, she emphasised.

NCSW Bakhtiar was speaking at a consultation session with provincial stakeholders on the preparation of the National Report on “Need Analysis for Financing and Strengthening Institutions with Gender Perspective for Empowerment of Women and Girls” in Muzaffarabad on Friday.

The NCSW will present the report during the 68th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. The consultation programme was arranged with the support of UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, and UNDP.The speakers, in consultation, raised related issues with a focus on the economic empowerment of women and the eradication of poverty.

Nilofar Bakhtiar said, “We look forward to creating inclusive and sustainable solutions for gender-related issues with a focus on economic empowerment and eradication of poverty, as those are the core themes for CSW 68.”

She stressed that by adopting a comprehensive and integrated approach, societies can work towards reducing poverty and promoting gender equality simultaneously, and it was essential to recognise the interconnectedness of poverty and gender issues and address them through collaborative efforts involving governments, NGOs, communities, and the private sector.

“The series of consultations across Pakistan is an opportunity to evaluate the progress and identify persistent challenges hindering the achievement of gender equality to be shared in the report for the 68th session of CSW this year,” she observed.

Rehana Khan, Chair of the AJK Commission on the Status of Women, said that AJK has many success stories of women entrepreneurs in the public and private sectors, and they need to be recognized. Rehana suggested that awareness campaigns for women’s rights, financial independence for women, and job opportunities can lead to a better economic status for women, along with education and sensitization for men.

UNFPA Zakriya said that rules and laws relating to women’s financing are there, but implementation is poor; budgets reserved for women are not being spent for the purpose; it must be streamlined.

UNWOMEN Nabila Malick suggested enhanced financing for women and more female employment opportunities in the public and private sectors.

Midhat Shehzad, Additional Chief Secretary of AJK, said that women in AJK are progressive, competing, and playing their role in all disciplines, which reflects an inclusive approach for women in all fields.

She added that the AJK government will keep striving to strengthen the state institutions for women empowerment in all fields. Multiple legislations are being done in AJK with the support of NCSW and UN partners.