'Mobile Political Schools' for Women will start functioning from December this year with the support of the UNDP, enabling women from across the country to participate in political process manifested in the form of local body provincial and national polls.
The PM's Advisor on Women Development, Nilofer Bakhtiar, stated this while addressing a press briefing at PML House here on Saturday.
She said these schools would specifically be activated in areas as Dir and Lower Dir where women during previous polls of varied levels were socially prevented from participation in it in any form.
Nilofer said the scenario should not be believed to be restricted to Dir alone, but could have taken place in other remote parts of country too and concerted efforts were required for political emancipation of local women folk in general.
She said it was with the very view that training programmes for 36,00O women councillors had been organised at regular intervals, adding this was in a situation where 57 percent of these women were totally illiterate and under a comprehensive programme the Ministry of Women Development has been able to reach out some 27,000 women with some 2,000 turned into computer literate, while others sensitised about the rules of business as councillors.
The PM's Advisor mentioned that training programme for master trainers is about to start in next few days, who would later train others under the said Mobile Political Schools.
Pakistan would be the first country to have such schools meant to streamline capabilities and capacities of women representatives.
"Idea is also to have more women elected as Nazims and Naib Nazims," she said.
Meanwhile, with regard to measures to contain the incidence of karo-kari (honour killings), Nilofer said the offence would now be considered as an attempted murder, while instances of nose amputation and deliberate acid burns, etc along with karo-kari itself could be admitted as "Fasad- fil-Arz" by the courts.
The PM's advisor admitted that its implementation may be difficult, but attempts have been made by the government to make it workable.
Regarding, the Hudood Ordinance, she said the report submitted by the Pakistan Women Commission was referred to the Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs as well as to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Nilofer dispelled the impression created by the opposition that the government was not interested in addressing the issue, saying the two ministries have also submitted their comments on the said report's propositions so that these be made into a law.
Nilofer Bakhtiar also referred to District Resource Centres being constituted in the country by the Ministry of Women Development, adding these centres would be handed over to the provincial government in three years' time.
The PM's Advisor also said the federal grant of Rs 365 million for Gender Reform Action Plan (Grap), which has already been formed in the three provinces of the country with the exception of NWFP.
The establishment of Crisis Centres across the country with provision for shelter homes and 24 hours helpline services were also cited as part of government efforts for empowerment of women, she added.
Nilofer Bakhtiar said that Pakistan would also be holding a women conference of Saarc region and another conference in co-ordination with APWA for legal reforms early next year.
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