KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced to increase the quota of women in government jobs from 5 per cent to 7 per cent with immediate effect.

Qaim took this decision while presiding over a meeting of Women Development Department (WDD) at CM House on Monday.

The Sindh chief minister directed the chief secretary to implement it strictly and with immediate effect.

"It was the dream and mission of Benazir Bhutto to empower women and the incumbent provincial government is committed to fulfil this in letter and in spirit," the CM said.

The chief minister was of the view that the current quota of women, which is 5 per cent, is not enough and at least 7 per cent women must become a part of provincial bureaucracy.

Qaim also announced that all the vacant positions in WDD, must be filled by women only.

“The application of male candidate would not be entertained in WDD," he directed the chief secretary and secretary Labour.

Women's hostel occupied by police

Upon hearing from WDD Secretary Aijaz Mangi that his department had constructed a `working women hostel' in Shaheed Benazirabad at the cost of Rs13.2 million but the police occupied it, the chief minister expressed displeasure and directed his Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo to vacate the hostel and report to him.

"The hostel is meant for working women only, it must be returned and be used for the purpose for which it has been built," he said.

107 sexual harassment cases registered

Mangi told Qaim that under Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 some 107 cases have been registered throughout the province, of them 887 have been solved so far.

Talking about Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2013, the secretary said that rules have been prepared in consultation with the stakeholders and submitted to law department for vetting.

Once the rules are approved by the chief minister, the Act would be implemented properly, he assured.