Talking Local Govt: Speakers urge increased women’s role
Jamaat-e-Islami provincial secretary information Israrullah said without local governments democracy was incomplete
PESHAWAR:
Speakers at a seminar urged the government to give proportional representation to women in local government (LG) and eradicate discriminatory attitude in issuing development funds to elected representatives. The seminar, titled ‘Women’s participation, media’s role in LG elections’, was organised by the Journalists Welfare Safety and Development Foundation in collaboration with Strengthening Participatory Organisation and Peshawar Press Club on Saturday. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)provincial secretary information Israrullah said without local governments, democracy was incomplete as more than 90% of society’s issues were local. The JI leader said that LG system was introduced by military dictators and democratic governments were afraid to use it. Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Nighat Orakzai said there was a mindset that wanted to confine women to domestic affairs in order to keep them away from politics. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Farzana Zain said 50% seats should be given to women in the local government and development funds should be disbursed without gender discrimination.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2014.
Speakers at a seminar urged the government to give proportional representation to women in local government (LG) and eradicate discriminatory attitude in issuing development funds to elected representatives. The seminar, titled ‘Women’s participation, media’s role in LG elections’, was organised by the Journalists Welfare Safety and Development Foundation in collaboration with Strengthening Participatory Organisation and Peshawar Press Club on Saturday. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)provincial secretary information Israrullah said without local governments, democracy was incomplete as more than 90% of society’s issues were local. The JI leader said that LG system was introduced by military dictators and democratic governments were afraid to use it. Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Nighat Orakzai said there was a mindset that wanted to confine women to domestic affairs in order to keep them away from politics. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Farzana Zain said 50% seats should be given to women in the local government and development funds should be disbursed without gender discrimination.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2014.