ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Minister Incharge Science and Technology Prof Attaur Rahman has said investment in science and technology is one of the strongest weapons to combat illiteracy among the women of South Asia.

"The government with the assistance from Unesco is launching major projects to improve literacy rate among women. Their financial status will also improve through popularization of science in rural areas," he said while inaugurating the second workshop of the sub-regional network of non-formal scientific education and popularization of science on Thursday.

The seminar titled "Empowering adolescent girls to become the agent of social transformation in South Asia" was organized by the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Unesco and Isesco.

"Science education for adolescent girls is imperative for breaking poverty cycle. However, South Asian governments have paid insufficient attention to education and training of women.

Due to gender discrimination, women from less privileged classes of society have not been able to contribute in mainstream development activities," Prof Ata stated.

Emphasising quality education, he said, "the science and technology element of these projects include development of various programmes for providing technical and basic formal and non-formal science education to adolescent girls".

He said projects were being launched that would enable rural communities to utilize scientific know-how to solve their problems and maximize agricultural production, protect environment, conserve water and prevent diseases.

He suggested initiation of cross-sectoral and cross-boundary preventive programmes to empower women. Dr Farid A. Malik, Chairman PSF, said illiteracy and poverty were two major concerns of developing countries.

"Science and technology is the best weapon of choice to tackle this major concern. The governments, however, have failed to take adequate steps to use S&T for economic uplift."

Prof D. Balasubramanian, Director of Research, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, India, believed that cooperation between South Asian countries was the best solution to break the poverty cycle of women.

Terming adolescent girls agent of change, Isesco representative Renee Clair said they planned to bring quality education to the doorsteps of people to make effective contributions in socio- economic development.

Unesco representative Ingeborg Brienes said world community had failed to meet the needs of people. They had failed to deliver the essentials required for healthy upbringing of children, she added.

Ms Brienes said figures of illiteracy touched alarming rates in South Asia. She stressed that governments must invest in education using science and technology as a vehicle for economic growth and for improving quality of life.

"Unesco believes that it is unacceptable to allow gaps between the haves and the have-nots. It is high time we took steps to abolish poverty similar to the ones taken to eliminate apartheid and slavery." Representatives from Bangladesh and Nepal also attended the programme.