Senate body snarls at media exploitation of women

The Senate Standing Committee on Women Development has taken strong exception to exploitation of women on media specially in advertisements and directed the Ministry of Women Development to take necessary steps.
The committee met at the Parliament House on Tuesday with Tahira Latif in the chair. The committee directed to take action in collaboration with other relevant organisations like Pemra to ensure implementation of the code of ethics by the Multinational Corporations (MNCs) to protect societal values.
The committee asked the Ministry not to implement those clauses of CEDAW, which are in conflict with our Constitution and societal values. It met here to discuss the CEDAW report giving progress on the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Senate Committee while appreciating the steps taken for empowerment of women, asked the relevant ministry to strive hard for improving the lot of women in general and women of rural areas in particular.
It was observed that much more was needed to be done for women's complete emancipation and socio-economic empowerment. 'No country can afford to ignore half of its population in this age'.
Earlier, the Minister for Women Development Suamira Malik informed the committee that the law to prevent 'Harassment of Women' at work places has been prepared in the light of the Ministry's recommendations.
She said that it is for the first time in the country's history that women are being inducted in the air force as fighter pilots, Commissioned officers in the army and are holding important positions like the Governor State Bank and Spokesman Ministry of Foreign Office.
She said that the Ministry is trying to address the issue of low women literacy. The NCHD and other organisations are helping the Ministry in this regard. She also disclosed that the Ministry is taking steps to ensure 10 percent employment quota for women across- the-board, including private sector.
The Secretary, MoWD informed the committee that the ministry has already made it clear that it would not implement CEDAW clauses, which are in conflict with the constitution and social values. Senators Razina Alam Khan, Bibi Yasmeen Shah, Sardar Mohammad Jamal Khan Leghari, Fauzia Zaman, Rukhsana Zuberi, Kauser Firdous and Sabina Rauf attended the meeting.