Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday unveiled the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Women Empowerment.

The prime minister was addressing the launching ceremony of the program which is being initiated at a total cost of Rs10.4 billion.

The prime minister said that the country’s womenfolk were an effective and energetic segment of society, playing effective roles in families and society as mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

He observed that in the last 75 years, the required opportunities for the women empowerment were not sufficient and stressed upon making of further efforts for securing women rights including the inheritance rights and creation of opportunities in a conducive environment, so that they could contribute meaningfully and productively in the society.

“Look around the Muslims world and the West, the women have played their due role for the progress and prosperity of their respective nations,” he added.

Lauding different prominent women personalities of the country, he said that they had served as great ambassadors of Pakistan in different capacities.

The prime minister said that there was no dearth of talent in Pakistan as they were blessed with great minds, but there was a need to harness the true potential with creation of opportunities.

Commending the rural women, he said that ratio of the rural area women in the national building capacity was immense as they had been working on fields along side with men.

He further observed that to achieve a place among the the comity of nation, both genders of the country had to work together, and underlined the need for provision of financial and actual opportunities in different fields.

“The women segment of our society is the driving engine for the country’s economy and serve as builders of nation,” he added.

About the creation of Shuhada fund initiative, he said it was their duty as the country’s martyrs had sacrificed their lives for the protection of the motherland and saved generations.

There could be no other precedent of bravery and valour that their sacrifice, he said, adding their bereaved families deserved honour and support.

The ceremony was attended by a large number of women belonging to all walks of life, besides, ministers, parliamentarians, representatives of women organizations and relevant authorities.

Referring to the current day challenges, he expressed his gratitude to the brotherly country of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for extending financial support in form of $2 billion deposit with the State Bank of Pakistan.

The prime minister questioned that as a nation for how long they would continue to depend upon foreign loans? adding “It is the pricking question?”

He said a neighbouring country of Pakistan in the year 1991 sought last IMF programme and then did not require any other financial programme.

The prime minister underscored the need that they had to to streamline their affairs by learning lessons from the past and ‘like an active nation have to move ahead’.

For a year, he said that he had never faced such severe financial issues, triggered further by last year’s floods, global inflation and Ukraine war which posed a huge challenge for country’s economy.

About International Monetary Fund programme, he hoped that it would proceed accordingly.

Terming the foreign debts as fetters, he said the nation have to rid itself from financial chains.

The prime minister further highlighted that they had to focus on the development of agriculture, exports and exploration of precious minerals worth trillion of dollars.

He regretted that billions of dollars had been wasted on litigation in the past and the country did not get a single penny profit which made them to suffer collectively.

The prime minister without elaboration said that all the political leaders and dictators were equally responsible for those woes.

“If we show determination, the country can emerge within days,” he added.

The prime minister further highlighted that as chief minister of Punjab, he embarked upon different initiatives for women empowerment.

He cited award of scholarships to the deserving girls in South Punjab whereas under Punjab Skill Development programme, thousands of women from the backward areas were imparted with skills development education, adding they did not invest on brick and mortar rather on human source.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Human Rights Riaz Hussain Pirzada said that the focus on women empowerment was a significant part of the present government’s policy.

He cited that Article 25 of the Constitution and other related articles guaranteed against all kind of gender discrimination, adding the international charter also insisted upon ensuring of equal opportunities.

Women empowerment, he further said, meant provision of equal opportunities to the women to participate fully in the national, economic and political affairs of the country.

He said the PM’s initiatives would serve to achieve the objectives under sustainable development goals (SDGs).

PM’s Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the initiative was launched under the PM’s vision aimed at women empowerment.

She expressed the hope that maximum number of women would take benefits from the initiatives and would play their role in the progress and prosperity of the country.

Shaza also stressed upon provision of opportunities to the womenfolk, besides availability of platforms to serve as springboards for the aspiring womenfolk to excel in different fields.

The present government has given a high priority on human rights and gender equality. The government is dedicated to promoting gender equality has allocated Rs.5,000 million for the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Women Empowerment in PSDP 2023-24 plus a new project titled “Women on Wheels” for which PSDP allocation for 2023-24 is Rs 500 million.

The funds will be used for various projects aimed at promoting gender equality and women empowerment with a total cost of Rs 10,410 million.