“Cooperation, Collaboration, and Coordination between both entities is vital to make promote financial and social inclusion if women,”

Islamabad,imrana Komal

A media coordination meeting was convened by Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), to foster collaboration between the NCSW and senior journalists from both print and electronic media. The event aimed to sensitize journalists about effectively highlighting women’s issues, particularly violence against women, and to shed light on the mandate and role of the NCSW in addressing women-related challenges.

The meeting was attended by Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson NCSW, Mr. Khawaja Imran Raza, Secretary NCSW, and senior journalists representing various media houses.

Khawaja Imran Raza, Secretary NCSW gave an introductory presentation to team of journalists regarding the mandate, activities and performance of NCSW with respect to protection of women rights and to ensure empowerment of women.

The Secretary NCSW emphasized the need for building a partnership between media and NCSW for advancement of women cause in Pakistan.

“Cooperation, Collaboration, and Coordination between both entities is vital to make promote financial and social inclusion if women,” the secretary added.

The Chairperson NCSW emphasized the pressing women’s issues in Pakistan, particularly gender-based violence and gender discrimination. She underscored the importance of media in raising awareness and creating discourse around these critical issues. Furthermore, both the Chairperson and Secretary highlighted the need for media coverage of NCSW’s activities, as the commission engages in several initiatives aimed at empowering women but often lacks adequate media attention.

During the meeting, Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, made two significant announcements regarding Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) projects. The first project, costing 4,476 million rupees, is the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Women’s Mobility: Women on Wheel. The project’s specific objectives include providing affordable and efficient transport facilities to working women, differently abled women, and transgender individuals. It aims to improve their safety, mobility, and access to employment, career opportunities, and social inclusion. The allocation budget for the year 2023-24 is 500 million rupees, and over three years, 22,000 scooties will be distributed through a fair balloting process. The distribution includes 4,000 scooties for each province, including Islamabad Capital Territory, and 1,000 scooties each for Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jamu & Kashmir. Eligible recipients are working women from the public and private sectors, with an income range of Rs30,000 to 150,000 and an age bracket of 18 to 55 years. The project offers a 50% upfront subsidy through the PSDP project, with the remaining 50% to be paid in monthly installments over three years, amounting to approximately 4,000 to 5,000 rupees per month. Additionally, provisions for headgear, safety kits, training, and licenses for scooty riders are included in the project. The Steering Committee for this project will be chaired by the Minister for Human Rights, with the Chairperson NCSW serving as the co-chair.

The Chairperson also announced the PSDP project of the establishment of Day Care Center at tertiary hospital and Public sector universities, valued at 1.5 billion rupees. The NCSW is the executing agency for this project, which aims to establish 440 daycare centers in tertiary hospitals and public universities across Pakistan within two years. In the first year, 220 daycare centers will be established. The hospitals and universities will provide the buildings, while the project will cover the cost of equipment, human resources (supervisors, aya), and operational expenses for two years. The Steering Committee for this project will be chaired by the Minister for Human Rights, with the Chairperson NCSW as the co-chair. The Provincial Women Development Departments, Social Development Departments, and Health Departments will be part of the steering committee.

The participating journalists commended the NCSW for its tireless efforts in advancing women’s rights in Pakistan and expressed their interest in working closely with the commission to amplify their voices.