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Seminar on women’s empowerment: Education, health facilities urged for rural women

HYDERABAD: Noted social workers, intellectuals and educationists have called upon the society, educational institutions and policy makers for making joint efforts towards provision of education, health and other basic facilities for women of remote areas for their empowerment in real manner.

At a seminar on women’s empowerment, jointly organized by the Sindh University, Sindh Development Study Centre and National Commission on Human Development in connection with International Women’s Day, the speakers ,;aid the awareness is key to development and added that education is the only way to create awareness for rights and for the positive change in the society.

The speakers were of the view that lack of education is causing hurdle in development in general and women development in particular.

They said though a number of women who represent rural areas reached in the Assemblies however the problems of rural women are still not addressed.

The Pro- Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sindh (SU) Jamshoro Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh in her remarks said only collective efforts could be helpful to address the issues of women for their education and betterment.

She said it is very unfortunate that in Pakistan today many of the rights bestowed upon women by Islam have been usurped by tribal customs and cultural beliefs.

Professor Shaikh pointed out that in some of the northern regions of Pakistan, there is an unwritten law denying women their share of inheritance.

Dr Shaikh said education is most important for development and added that socio economic condition as well as status of woman can only be changed through development by providing education to them.

Dr Shaikh pointed out that in the University of Sindh more than 35 percent girls are getting education, while out of 55 institutes and departments, 20 are headed by female scholars.

She appreciated the speakers who presented their papers on the different aspects of empowerment of rural women.

Noted educationist Professor Qaladar Lakyari said there is need for continuous research study to determine merits and demerits of change in society in present times.

He said every society has its own culture and traditions and a change towards modernization is creating problems for the community in rural society.

He criticised the role of service providing organisations and said education and health departments are the main service providers but both departments fail to deliver proper services to the community.

He said in the schools of rural areas teachers are not properly delivering their duties and many schools are running without teachers.

He said in Basic Health Units at the remote areas doctors fail to provide relief to the rural people and added that in many areas BHUs are operating without doctors and medicines.
Professor Shah said injustice in the society has created another problem and every one has been suffering from it.

He said there are two dimensions in the society rich and poor and strong and weaker and added that mostly the weaker have been suffering from injustice. Noted gynecologist Dr Roshan Ara Kazi said Gynecology Department at Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro is providing 24-hour services.

She said due to lack of education and non-awareness a majority of women have been suffering. She said due lack of education women were not adopting family planning principles and they suffer from different difficulties and diseases.

Noted sociologist Dr Tanveer Junejo said every government has been trying to provide relief to women, to provide education and to empower them but due to traditions of the society the goals are not achieved.

Dr Junejo highlighted historical perspective of women’s struggle for its rights and added in 1975 as official declared March 8 as International Women Day.
Source: Daily Times
Date:3/18/2008