The National Assembly Standing Committee on Women Development has criticised the government's policies pertaining to the women empowerment, saying no visible progress had been witnessed on fundamental rights to the large segment of the society despite spending huge amount of foreign aid.
A special meeting of the standing committee was held here on Wednesday to mark the 'International Women's Day' with MNA Mehnaz Rafi in the chair. The absence of the Advisor to the Prime Minister for Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar irked the members. Talking to Business Recorder, MNA Jamila Ahmed said different issues relating to the women development and their empowerment were thoroughly discussed in the meeting.
She said members from both sides of the aisle felt the women were deprived of their fundamental rights despite having 33 per cent representation in the political institutions. She said what the present government had given to women living in far-flung areas and had no access even to basic education and the health facilities.
Speaking about the absence of the advisor, Jamila Ahmed said a joint secretary was representing the minister who had no answer about the spending of huge grants from donor agencies for the purpose of women development.
Jamila Ahmed said the MMA would oppose the government's Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP) if it were launched without bringing it in the National Assembly. According to the press release, the committee had unanimously adopted a resolution demanding of the Prime Minster to declare 2007 as the Year of Women Development.
The resolution also demanded of the government to give women maximum opportunities in decision-making at the national, provincial and grass roots level so that they could play an active role in the national development.
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