ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: The government has formulated a policy to ensure equality and empowerment of women in all housing activities, and help them obtain affordable houses, sources told Dawn.

Under the policy, an awareness campaign will be launched to mobilize communities and encourage women to take part in housing development, a source in the housing ministry said.

Ways will also be evolved to ensure women participation in decision-making at all levels of planning, settlements, and housing development. In this connection, all institutions, for example regional, inter-regional, NGOs and CBOs, will be strengthened and their services utilized to bring women to the forefront, sources said.

The NGOs, CBOs and other similar organizations can help bridge the gulf between government agencies, constructors and developers, planning departments, women and the community at large, they said.

A study of the housing ministry said more than 50 per cent population comprises women, thus, there was a growing awareness that their role in all arenas should be recognized and their participation made effective.

“This is critical as it is women who spend a major part of their lives in converting a house into a home,” the study added.

It said the UN Commission on Habitat, through a number of resolutions, latest at Beijing in 1995, emphasized on all governments to give women equal access to economic, natural resources, appropriate technologies and decision-making process.

The community’s role was also very important and critical in development of housing and ensuring that a healthy livable environment was created.

It said the failure of low-cost housing schemes in the past was due to lack of participation of communities and women who did not find the new development amenable in meeting their requirements.

Therefore, it was necessary to involve women in the entire process of relocation and upgradation of Kutcha Abadis, resettlement and development of new housing programmes and projects, the study said.

It said the housing stock was rapidly aging and the present estimates suggested that more than 50 per cent of them were 50- year old and rapidly deteriorating due to general neglect, civic apathy on the part of the households and non-availability of finance at affordable mark-up.