Education, economic empowerment must for women
09 March, 2013
KARACHI: Domestic violence, karo kari, trafficking of women and other forms of discrimination and violence against women are major issues in our society. Many of these problems could be resolved by educating and empowering women economically, said Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) Dr Mohammad Ali Shaikh at a seminar organized by SMIU on 'Women's Issues and Education in Pakistan', on Friday at Jhoonagarh Seminar Hall of the university. Dr Shaikh said our negative cultural values and traditions have also been adding miseries in the lives of our women and girls, which must be changed through implementation of laws. "Economic empowerment can solve 80 percent problems faced by women," he said, adding that the forces who believe in gender equality must come forward and play their role. Gender discrimination was not only a problem in our society, but even in the history of USA, which is spread over three centuries; no woman has been elected as the president of the country. But here, in our country, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto reached to such height due to her education and determination. The SMIU VC said only an educated mother could play a decisive role in shaping the thinking of her boy child towards the rights and status of women. "If our mothers are educated, then they can produce an educated and civilised generation, honouring women rights," the vice chancellor maintained. Giving example of SMIU, he said that he had added girl's secondary section at the university in 1997 and now out of five, three women were deans of various departments. He also announced that a new Gender Studies Department would be added to the university from next year, to educate girls about gender equality, their fundamental rights and other related subjects. Dr Seema Jilani, Dean of Environmental Studies Department of SMIU and female faculty members such as Shaista Naz, Ambreen Aziz, Syed Rakhshanda Kokab, Quratul Ain Mangrio, Sara Wali Kazi, Shumaela Kashif, Dr Roohi Bano, Asma Amanullah, Samrin Razi, Shabroz, Ms Farukh Saba, Syed Shaista Shehzad, Dr Sumbal and Ms Marvi also spoke on the occasion and said that women must be given their fundamental rights. They also pointed out that about 40 percent girls were not able to go to schools. They accentuated that women must be given equal rights including equal education. End.
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