KARACHI, March 2: There is a need for organizing special orientation and training arrangements for women intending to become candidates in elections as councillors. This was stressed at a workshop on the role of women councillors in strengthening local government and democracy.

The moot was organized by an NGO, Baanhn Beli, and was held at Rashidabad Memorial Complex in Tandoallahyar District, says a statement on Thursday.

Attended by about 200 women and men from different parts of lower Sindh including Hyderabad, Karachi, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar, the workshop was presided over by MNA Gul-i-Farkhanda, who is also Vice-President of Baanhn Beli.

Former Naib Nazim of District Tharparkar Ram Singh Sodho and the founding president of Baanhn Beli, Javed Jabbar, also addressed the workshop.

Other speakers who made comments on the workshop theme included Dr H B Kolachi, Associate Professor at Liaquat Medical Sciences University and Younus Bandhani, Director of Baanhn Beli.

The workshop was organized by Baanhn Beli with the support of German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Speakers appreciated the support of the FES for taking such constructive initiatives for the benefit of women’s development.

Workshop participants also recorded their admiration for the dedicated efforts of Air Commodore (Retd) Shabbir Ahmed and his colleagues in the construction of the development complex at Rashidabad.

A number of recommendations were made at the conclusion of the workshop, called for the need to design a special training course of a year’s duration for women councillors that should be compulsorily attended by them during their term.

Special orientation and training arrangements should also be made for women intending to contest polls as women councillors so they could be prepared for the electoral process as well for fulfilment of their responsibilities after they are elected.

It was also recommended by the participants that women councillors should be given a reasonable and essential number of positions in each committee at all three levels of the local government.

Male councillors, nazims and naib nazims should be obligated to participate in special courses to increase their awareness about gender equity and gender justice.

Women councillors should create linkages and establish networks for co-operation by rising above party and group alignments. The Local Government Ordinance 2000 needs to be reviewed on a comprehensive basis to enhance special provisions for women councillors and ‘to remove existing anomalies’.

In her presidential remarks, MNA Gul-i-Farkhanda said the problems and challenges faced by women Councillors in the local government were in several respects similar the difficulties faced by women MNAs, MPAs and senators.—APP