Family planning ‘key to sustainable growth’
Family planning award recipient says maternal deaths linked to unhealthy spacing. PHOTO: FILE
Parliamentary Secretary of Law, Science, and Information Technology, Dr. Rubaba Khan Buledi, emphasized the importance of empowering women to address the rapidly growing population in Pakistan.
Speaking at a seminar organized in collaboration with UNFPA and the population welfare department to mark World Population Day, Dr. Buledi highlighted the need to formulate effective strategies that provide equal opportunities for women and raise awareness about their reproductive health rights.
During her address, Dr. Buledi revealed that only 10% of the total female population in Pakistan can make decisions about their own health. She expressed concern over Pakistan’s low ranking in the Gender Gap Index, reflecting the nation’s insufficient gender equality efforts.
Dr. Buledi stressed that empowering women through education, labor force participation, and promoting gender equality are crucial national issues that demand multifaceted solutions. She underscored the need for women to have a more significant presence in the national assembly and urged for their active participation in all spheres of society.
Chief Secretary of Balochistan, Abdul Aziz Uqaeli, spoke via video link and acknowledged the government’s commitment to achieving national goals related to family planning.
He called for effective policy implementation and stressed the importance of raising awareness among religious scholars, civil society, students, and all sections of society to promote family planning in Balochistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2023.