Women’s active participation imperative for national development: Ahsan Iqbal

ISLAMABAD, May 18 (APP):Minister for Planning and Development Professor Ahsan on Thursday said the required goals of national development and prosperity could not be achieved without the active participation of women, which constituted almost 50 percent of the country’s total population.

Chairing a meeting here, he said economic development depended on providing maximum education and employment opportunities to women.

He said the government had set up university campuses even in remote areas of Balochistan province to impart education to girls so that they could become useful citizens of the country.

The minister said it was one of the top priorities of the government to provide equal education and employment opportunities to women, stressing the need for removing all obstacles in that regard.

Ahsan Iqbal said the government had prepared several programs in the Information Technology and Industrial sectors, besides allocating 50 per cent of loan-fund for them.

He acknowledged that women were achieving greater success in almost every field, but they just needed more and more opportunities and encouragement.

He was of the view to promote the culture of ‘zero tolerance”, if there was any harassment against women at their respective places.

In the upcoming federal budget, the minister said special measures were being taken for women development and economic empowerment.

Source: APP