LAHORE: Speakers at an event held here on Thursday in connection with International Women’s Day stressed that society must work together to build a safe environment for women as their education and economic empowerment are important to achieve gender equality.

The event was organised by the Punjab University Department of Media and Development Communication (DMDC), in collaboration with the Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA) at Al Raazi Hall.

On this occasion, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali Shah, Punjab Woman Protection Authority (PWPA) Chairperson Hina Parvez Butt, DMDC Chairperson Dr Ayesha Ashfaq, PWPA Director General Kulsoom Saqib, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Director Farah Zia, Shirkat Gah Programme Director Humaira Mumtaz, Pink Ribbon Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Omer Aftab, journalist Zunaira Azhar, along with teachers and a large number of students were present.

VC Prof Shah, in his address, said that everyone must work together to build a safe society for women and that it is important for educated girls to understand the factors that help empower them, adding that economic stability is essential for women’s social empowerment.He regretted that although rural women contribute nearly 80 percent of their household economy but have to depend on men to access financial resources, stressing that women must be given equal rights, along with dignity and respect.

PWPA head Ms Butt said the government is striving to create a society free of violence against women, where they have an access to facilities related to travel, education, healthcare, employment and sports.

She said measures would be taken at every level to ensure women’s safety, adding that now the women have many platforms, including social media, to raise their voice. She warned that domestic violence often begins with small issues which are usually ignored.

Ms Butt said the issue of violence against housewives would be often suppressed as a “private matter” in the past, but after the establishment of the PWPD in 2016, many steps and laws have been introduced to safeguard women’s rights, freedom and security.

She said that women should know that now, in cases of domestic violence, an abusive man may be required to leave the house.Dr Ashfaq said that real change in Pakistan would come when society would focus on changing individual mindsets. She stressed the need to break the outdated stereotypes and traditional attitudes prevalent in society.

She stated that respect, equal rights and protection for women are not favours, but social responsibilities. “When individuals adopt positive attitudes in their homes, at workplace and in their social circles, a chain of change begins and a new thinking emerges, which can help build a society where women can confidently use their abilities and contribute equally to the country’s development,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2026