Women empowerment: Punjab boasts most female bureaucrats in high positions

Apart from Higher Education, no main department is being headed by women including interior, finance, health or law

ISLAMABAD: In a country like Pakistan, where females are usually not given position of power, with the proverbial glass ceiling cropping up time and again, the Punjab government has taken the lead over other provinces with six women at the head of civil bureaucracy in the province.

Punjab currently has six women are working as Provincial Secretaries, out of 38 provincial departments, more than any other province in the country.

Taking the credit for the appointment of six female secretaries in the province, one of the top Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders said that it reflects the party's women oriented approach in the province.

According to the PML-N leader, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is known for scrutinising the government officials and giving tough time to top bureaucrats, was very pleased with the performances of the female bureaucrats in the province.

However, apart from Higher Education, no main department is being headed by women including home, finance, health, planning and development, excise and taxation, local government, mines and minerals, or law.

The women working as provincial secretaries are:

Secretary Higher Education Irum Bokhari

Secretary Human Rights Bushra Aman

Secretary Women Development Amna Imam

Secretary Archives Ismat Tahira

Secretary Special Education Umbreen Raza

Special Secretary to Punjab Governor Saima Saeed