RAWALPINDI, Oct 28: Women should not consider themselves as weaker or inferior but should fight for their rights in the male dominated society with courage and determination.

This was stated by Tami Kojima, wife of Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan, while speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session of a ten-day training workshop at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) here on Sunday.

The workshop, “Women in leadership and management in higher education: developing a regional group of key women trainers” has been organised by the university in collaboration with the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Higher Education Commission.

Ms Kojima said women are as competent and talented as their male counterparts. They have to contest not only with males but also with other talented women in the competitive world. She said women have to fight for their rights in the male dominated societies not only in Pakistan but also all over the world.

“In Japan, both men and women are equal in the eye of the law but in reality women still have to struggle for their just rights,” she added.

In her welcome address, Vice-Chancellor FJWU Dr Saeeda Asadullah Khan said the workshop was an important step towards reducing the imbalance between men and women in senior management and leadership positions in higher education in the Commonwealth.

She said data collected by CW and analysed by ACU in 2000 had showed that ten times more men than women were working at the level of university executive heads and six times more men were heads of administration. The situation had even not improved in 2006, she added.

The representatives of both HEC and ACU called upon women to work for their better future while growing their influence in the leadership and management.

As many as 17 representatives from United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Pakistan are participating in the workshop.