MoU inked for gender mainstreaming
During the two-day workshop, participants noted that prevailing mindset can be changed through education and training to promote female empowerment.
Chairperson of Standing Committee on Gender Mainstreaming (Women Development) Uzma Kardar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bargad, a non-governmental organisation to collaborate in capacity building, orientation, awareness campaigns and other actions for amplifying women’s voices with a focus on their social and economic empowerment.
This partnership will also strengthen implementation of the Punjab Youth Policy 2012, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ending child marriage in Punjab. The event was chaired by Kardar.
The signing ceremony was joined by a number of parliamentarians.
The issue of ending child marriage in Punjab was also discussed in detail at the end of the ceremony and the chairperson of the committee along with other members present during the signing ceremony announced to support a relevant new bill which is pending in the provincial assembly and waiting for the approval.
The bill was presented in the assembly by MPA Kardar after getting it signed by around 250 parliamentarians.
She told The Express Tribune that the bill is a non-cognisable offence bill which asks to restrain the solemnisation of child marriages in Punjab and proposes a three-year punishment for whoever performs, conducts, directs, brings about or in any way facilitated any child marriage.
“The problem of solemnisation of child marriages continues in the province.”
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2021.