The women of the country who constitute 50 percent of the country's population have been ignored in the past, and the government must take steps for providing them congenial working environment as well as professional training.
This was consensus of the speakers at a seminar on 'protection of live and health' jointly organised by All Pakistan Trade Union Federation and Japan International Labour Foundation on Friday.
The speakers including Haji Amin Rathore, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, Huma Aziz, Shabnum Manzoor, Rehana Pal, Rubina Butt, and Shahana Karim pointed out that women in the country have not been given equal opportunities to get education. This is the reason why women folk have failed to play their part in national development.
They were of the view that the government has also failed breaking the shackles of feudalism and that is why women are subjected to domestic violence, sexual harassment and still considered as second class citizens.
Women are devoid of medical facilities and there is no concept of making women aware about the needs for protection of life and health, they said.
They asked the provincial governments to lay special emphasis on resolving the problems faced by the women folk and set up a separate ministry in this regard.