Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for Women Empowerment Fizza Batool Gilani here on Friday said that women's political empowerment was only possible if they were economically independent. "The government has made a lot of key interventions for the economic empowerment of Pakistani women that is quite obvious from the time spent on women related legislative business which has been taken up by the parliament," she said while expressing her views on the event of National Women's Day organised by National Commission for Status of Women (NCSW).
As a result of this continuous focus, laws like Women Protection from Harassment at Work Place Act 2010; Amendment in PPC section 509; Acid Crime Prevention Act 2011, Anti Women Practices Act 2011 and 'Fund for Women in distress and detention Act 2011' were passed by the parliamentarians. Passage of the 18th Amendment in the Constitution and National Finance Awards are the major milestones towards the goal of women empowerment.
"Such steps are engaging women in the decision making process at all levels. Now it is expected that more women will be mobilised and engaged in socio-economic and political development through local bodies' institutions," she stated. For economic empowerment of women, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), land entitlement in the name of women flood affectees in Sindh are few of such interventions. The amount and land holdings might be very small but crucial for uplift of women headed household at this time of severe economic crisis as sometimes small amount serves them to keep their kitchen running.