HYDERABAD, March 21: The Institute of Women Development Studies (IWDS), University of Sindh, here on Thursday released the recommendations of “First National Seminar on Problems of Working Women” held the other day at the Institute of Sindhology, Jamshoro.

The recommendations of the seminar were drafted by a committee of scholars and prominent women.

The seminar was presided over by the vice chancellor of Sindh university, Mazharul Haq Siddiqui, and Mrs. Parveen Qadir Agha, the federal secretary, ministry of women development, social welfare and special education, was the chief guest.

The seminar was attended by a large number of prominent working women and councillors who presented their papers on the problems of working women.

The seminar recommended that the ministry of women development social welfare and special education provide funds for completion of the working women hostel at the campus of the Zubeeda Girls College, Hyderabad, which had been left incomplete since long.

It was observed that the former prime minister of Pakistan had announced Rs10 million in 1994 on the occasion of special convocation of the university for the construction of a separate building of Marui hostel at Allama I.I. Kazi campus, Jamshoro, to accommodate 150 more girls but due to the change of the government the ministry released less funds which was hardly enough for the accommodation 50 girls.

The secretary was requested to help the university get the remaining amount for the construction of a separate block for at least 100 more girls as most of the female students from rural areas preferred the university for higher education.

It was also recommended that the bathrooms and shades at the government offices and courts be constructed for the women of remote areas and government residences be allotted to the working women on priority basis.

The seminar further recommended that exclusive transport be provided for the working women, widows be exempted from paying property tax and procedure of Zakat payment to women be simplified.

The seminar also recommended that the budget of the Nazims be utilized in consultation with the women councillors and they be assigned individual projects for their areas.

The secretary was requested to provide funds to the IWDS so that it could strengthen M.Sc programme of Home Economics and introduce the course of M.A in women studies and research projects.

The ministry was also requested to provide financial help to organize awareness programmes about the basic rights, mother and child care, health, education, economic and welfare programmes for rural women.

The ministry was further requested to provide financial support to the IWSD for the establishment of literacy and vocational training centres for females particularly for the girls in the villages around Jamshoro union council.