ISLAMABAD: Women from different walks of life participated in the function held here Friday to commemorate International Women Day, acknowledging the contribution of unsung heroines.
The event was arranged by French Embassy to Pakistan and attended by prominent Pakistani women including human rights activists, scholars and independent workers.
Addressing on the occasion, Ambassador of France, Philippe Thiebaud praised the courage and continuous efforts of the women and men working in the country to protect women's rights, campaign for new laws and raise awareness about violence against women.
He stressed on the importance of education and skill development of women and reiterated the French Embassy's commitment in the Northern region of the country where vocational training centers are being developed in partnership with the Agha Khan Foundation.
He also emphasized the priority of the French cooperation given to women's education through the need-based scholarships programme that enables 200 students per year to pursue their higher education studies in Pakistan.
These activities, he said, are in line with the policies conducted by the French Ministry for Women Rights to enshrine the achievements of the programmes initiated by this newly established Ministry to promote women's rights and combat violence against women in France.
The ambassador reiterated the importance of gender disparity and women empowerment as one of the major Millennium Development Goals established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000.
All the participants to the event acknowledged by their presence the importance of promoting gender mainstreaming across all the areas of work.
In her remarks, Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Khawar Mumtaz eulogized the contribution of women in multiple spheres of life.
She said the day symbolizes the struggle of women around the globe and "we must pay tribute to those women who have aspired us through their courage and struggle".
She said Pakistani women are no doubt exploring new avenues of success and they have the examples of Arfa Karim, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Malala Yusufzai and many others to follow.
Human Rights activist, Tahira Abdullah and Director of the Acid Survivor Foundation Valerie Khan highlighted the difficulties, the challenges but also the immediate benefits resulting from women's rights projects in Pakistan.
Dr Saleem Baig, representative from Agha Khan Foundation and former MNA Dr Attiya Inayatullah also spoke on the occasion.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.