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| India-Pakistan |
| 'Empowerment of women central to govt's policy' |
| 2009-03-08 |
| The objective of women's empowerment lies at the heart of the government's efforts for national development, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said on Saturday. In her message on International Women's Day on March 8, Sherry said it was important to stretch our commitment to gender justice beyond celebrations on a single day. "Women's Day is a reminder that as citizens, we share serious obligations to bridge the gaps in gender development that exist in our societies despite the progress we have made towards women's empowerment over the last few decades." Sherry said it was important that the context of all policy actions by the government prioritise women's development and stress on equal rights. "The promotion of human rights in any society is, to a great extent, dependent on the commitment of its political forces and public representatives to fundamental entitlements of the citizens. For the Pakistan People's Party government, politics and human rights are closely linked to each other. The PPP set an example when it made human rights the basis of Pakistan's 1973 Constitution, which remains the sole guarantor of fundamental freedoms and rights enjoyed by the Pakistani people." Fundamental principle: Sherry said the PPP worked on the fundamental principle that linked women's rights to human rights. "It is this commitment that led the party to introduce special provisions for women related to non-discrimination on the basis of sex in Pakistan's constitution. A strong sense of responsibility drove Benazir Bhutto to aggressively pursue a pro-women agenda - both while in the government and in the opposition -- in the face of an extremely resistant right-wing establishment. During her two terms in office, and in the course of her political life, Benazir established fundamental structures in Pakistan's state apparatus to ensure that women's rights become central to all future policy actions of the government and political entities of the country. In 1993, Benazir's government subscribed to the Vienna Declaration, which recognised women's rights as human rights. This policy action served as the most important move towards enabling the state to deliver on its obligation for women's empowerment." The information minister said the PPP government was determined to carry forward the mantle of gender equality, social justice, and political and economic empowerment. She said legislation related to workplace harassment and domestic violence, initiated by the government is key to the efforts to address issues of safety and security for women. She said the Information Ministry was working with the media to enable them to serve women effectively by enhancing their participation and representation on important forums. The information minister said the president and the prime minister were committed to building further on the party's pro-women legacy. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 empowered to listen to Bob Dylan sing "everybody must get stoned." |
| Posted by: AlanC 2009-03-08 11:07 |