FAISALABAD: The women empowerment and rights need to be ensured to make development and to compete with the rest of the world.
Without women active participation in socio-economic uplift, progress was merely a dream, said Sadia Saifuddin, member of Board of Regent, University of California, USA, while addressing a seminar titled “Gender Mainstreaming” at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad here on Tuesday. The event was organised by the Public Relations and Publications Department in collaboration with the Office of Research Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC) at Iqbal Auditorium.
Sadia said that the West was raising their voices for the women rights and women empowerment now. The Islam had provided equal rights to the women 1,400 years ago, she added. The discrimination with the women could be wiped out by following the injections of the Islam, she maintained. She said that the change in the mindset of the people was essential to bring the women in mainstream. She called for following the teachings of the Islam so that they (women) could prove their mettle in every sphere of life. She said that education was the only way out to bring the change in the society.
The proper advocacy, confident approach regarding domestic, social and economic participation of women would help ensure the women emancipation, she suggested. She said that the women in the country were blessed with tremendous talent who could play an active role in the development. She praised the participation of female students of the UAF. Dr Akhtar from USA said that the University of California was housing the ten campuses with 230,000 students.
He said that hunger was a main concern across the globe. The skilled manpower was imperative to face the situation, he added. Dr Noreen Rana from Zoology Department and Institute of Home Economics Chairperson Naheed Abbas were also present.
