ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal launched Citizen’s Guide to Prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV) under Gender Unit in the Ministry of Planning to mark International Women’s Day, on Thursday.
“If Pakistan is to be put on the path of rapid development, then we have to connect 100 of the population with the development process of the country”, said the Minister while addressing to the participants.
The planning minister has launched several projects for women under its development budget. A gender unit is established in the Ministry so that development projects can be considered and reviewed from the gender perspective as well.
Ahsan Iqbal on scholarship programme
The minister highlighted that 50 of scholarship programmes offered by the government are reserved for women. Speaking to women at the opening ceremony of Citizen Guide, the Minister said that almost half of the Young Development Fellows YDFs Program initiated under the Ministry of Planning are girls who have run the best campaign against gender discrimination in universities across Pakistan.
He mentioned that the campaign against GBV by YDFs aimed to create awareness among female students on how they can protect themselves against any form of violence. Similarly, Citizen Guide will also be helpful for women in this regard.
The Minister further highlighted that the government is going to start an Internship programme soon in which equal opportunities will be provided to women and fresh graduate female students.
Similarly, the government is also starting an Innovation Fund programme, through which women entrepreneurs will be encouraged and provided funds to run their business so that they can become role models for other women.
