QUETTA, The speakers in the consultation organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on Wednesday agreed that promoting gender equality to address poverty, requires a multifaceted approach that tackles the root causes and empowers both men and women.
The participants raised gender issues and poverty with a focus on the economic empowerment of women and the eradication of poverty. They submitted a set of recommendations that included education and skill development with Equal Employment Opportunities for all and especially women and girls, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws and policies in the workplace.
NCSW consulted with provincial stakeholders on the preparation of the National Report on “Need Analysis for Financing and Strengthening Institutions with Gender Perspective for the Empowerment of Women and Girls” to be presented by the Commission in the 68th Session of the UN-Commission on the Status of Women, said a news release.
The consultation was attended by the representatives from all consortium Partners including Civil Society Organizations, youth, academia, media partners gender experts, representatives from government departments, civil society organizations, NGOs, and media houses.
The theme of the sixty-eighth session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women that will take place from March 11 to 22, 2024 is “achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.”
The subject consultation by NCSW in partnership Consortium members UNWOMEN, UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA was the concluding consultation in a series of dialogues conducted in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.
Chairperson NCSW Nilofar Bakhtiar extended gratitude to the consortium partners for their continued encouragement of the NCSW and Consortium’s pre-CSW consultations. As that is the overarching topic of CSW 68.
She maintained that we look forward to working toward inclusive and sustainable remedies for gender-related challenges with a particular focus on economic empowerment and the eradication of poverty.
She underlined that societies can at the same time fight to foster gender equality while minimizing poverty by using an all-encompassing and integrated approach.
Acknowledging the connections between gender issues and poverty is crucial, as is working together to address them with the help of communities, NGOs, governments, and the commercial sector.
The opportunity to evaluate the progression and pinpoint persistent impediments limiting success was offered by this series of consultations organized around Pakistan.
Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Muhammad Zubair Jamali applauded the accomplishments of NCSW, saying that women in Balochistan are progressive, viable, and performing their roles in every area. With emphasis on women’s education, he declared that the government of Balochistan will continue to work to reinforce state institutions for women’s empowerment in every aspect of life.
“We will investigate the forum’s proposals with the help of NCSW and UN partners. Due to how closely related the problems of gender equality and poverty are, we must work collaboratively to forge a more equal and prosperous future. We understand that many of our fellow citizens, particularly women, encounter regular obstacles in providing for their most basic needs, and we are committed”, he added.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Amanullah Kanrani said on the occasion that it was an honor for Balochistan to host the consultation. He noted that the provincial government acknowledges the fact that empowering women is not just a matter of social justice but also an economic imperative.
He said “The women’s inclusion and access to equal opportunities calls for the need for creating equal opportunities for women in all sectors, ensuring that they have the same access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship. The issue of the gender gap can be addressed by promotion of transparency and adherence to national and international commitments.”
The Chair BCSW Fauzia was of the view that NCSW and Balochistan Commission have been supportive of the state’s initiatives towards poverty and economic uplift of women however investing in women’s education, job training programs, the economic empowerment of women is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. “It is a key driver for sustainable development, social progress, and inclusive growth, she concluded.
Source: Associated Press of Pakistan
