The women rights activists have suggested establishing a private television channel exclusively for women. Eminent artist Sameena Peerzada made this suggestion at the meeting of National Advisory Forum (NAF) for Gender Equity Programme (GEP) chaired by Special Assistant to Prime Minister Begum Shenaz Wazir Ali here. Four provincial ministers for women development, activists as well as researchers attended the meeting.
Emphasizing the significance of launching women s own TV channel, Sameena said that such initiatives can play important role in conveying the positive and extraordinary achievements women have made over the years in addition to portraying the real and difficult experiences they face in their everyday life.
Justice Majida Rizwi said that legal and judicial access for women paves way for social justice. Educationist Dr Aliya Khan proposed that GEP should have programmes for home-based women workers and women in informal sector. She stressed for the recognition of women s identity by including mothers name in all identity documents such as birth certificates, CNICs etc.
Wife of US ambassador Dr Marilyn Wyatt said that gender initiatives always start as small popular movements from within the civil society and democratic governments later adopt them.
It is the prime responsibility of a democratic government to respect and take side with the popular movements and also to provide space for these initiatives through policy making and institutionalisation, she said and hoped that both the government and civil society will fulfil their responsibility to work together for creating a supporting environment for the implementation of gender initiatives.
Chairperson NAF Shahnaz Wazir Ali noted that GEP provides an opportunity, both in volume of funding and its strategic design, to harness opportunities and capacities both within and outside the government for women advancement.
Provincial Minister for Women Development for KPK Sitara Ayaz, Provincial Minster for Women Development Sindh Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Punjab Minster for Social Welfare Kamran Michal and Provincial Minster for Women Development Balochistan Ghazala Gola also shared their views on women issues.
Chief of Party GEP Simi Kamal stated that GEP s has four objectives which revolve around core women s rights.