Gender equality: ‘Empowerment of women in rural areas need of the hour ’

UAF VC says university is promoting women’s cycling on campus

FAISALABAD: Women’s empowerment is essential in achieving sustainable development and prosperity. We cannot succeed without involving women in socio-economic activities and bringing them into the mainstream.

This was said by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan while speaking at a workshop on Thursday.

The event was organised under Gender Sensitisation, and Women Empowerment in Agriculture Sector Project of Gender Equity Programme at New Senate Hall.

The UAF VC called for creating more educational opportunities for rural girls to empower them by creating awareness about their rights in society.

While expressing concern over low ratio of girls in the postgraduate degree programmes, he said women should be encouraged to enroll in higher studies and play their active role in the development of the county.

Dr Iqrar said, “There is a need to take measures to alleviate the gender-based violence with the help of awareness.”

He claimed the UAF was making efforts to promote education among women.   He said the university was promoting women’s cycling on the campus to facilitate them and to minimise their dependency.

On the occasion, Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Prof Dr Iqbal Zafar said rural women were playing a pivotal role in the development of agricultural but their role remained unrecognised. He added the students, academia and researchers should evolve a strategy to raise the standard of living of rural women.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2017.