RAWALPINDI, Oct 17: Domestic violence is an international menace and women all over the world would have to stand up against it and denounce it, otherwise their dignity will always remain elusive.

British Secretary of State Claire Short was talking to the women members of the district council during her visit to the Women Development and Welfare Centre on Wednesday to see the efforts being undertaken for the uplift of women.

She stressed the need for imparting education to girls and said “with girls going to school a lot can change”.

Ms Short said initially the law enforcement agencies in the UK ignored domestic violence as private matter, but things have changed significantly with the setting up of safe houses, strict enforcement of relevant laws and with women working in the police.

Pakistan has inched ahead of the UK by having greater representation of women. In Pakistan women have 33 per cent representation, in Britain it is only 25 per cent.”There are not many women in politics in the UK,” she added.

The councillors kept evading a direct answer, despite her repeated inquiry on the issue of specific projects.

They informed her that illiteracy and difficult working conditions for women were the two major problems facing them.

Short later visited leather workshop and spoke to the women working there.