ISLAMABAD, Oct 30: The government has passed a number of legislations to secure rights of women from the parliament and to get its desired results everyone should play his role.

There is also a need to educate, inform and create awareness among women of rural areas or less accessed communities.

“The government has worked a lot for empowering women but the rural women are still deprived of its results as they do not have proper knowledge of these laws and how they can be benefitted by them”, said Federal Ombudsperson, Anti-Harassment Law, Yasmin Abbasi.

Chairing the second session of two-day rural women conference “Rural Women Development, Peace and Pluralism” organized byPotohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA) in collaboration with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund here at Lok Virsa, she said no female can utilise her abilities and skills if the workplace environment was not conducive.

Giving detailed information on “Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act” she said every office was bound to establish a three-member harassment committee to ensure rights of female employees.

She said that any women, who is facing any harassment threats at her office can easily file a complaint with that committee or directly to the ombudsman office and the accused would be punished after thorough investigation within six month.

This law enhances the confidence of the women in urban areas but unfortunately rural women are not properly informed about it so cases from such areas are low, she added.—APP