HYDERABAD, March 16: Speakers at an open house dialogue organised by the Institute of Women Development Studies, University of Sindh, in collaboration with the National Commission on the Status of Women here on Saturday underlined the importance of social and economic support for women and education in rural areas.

The dialogue on women’s problems, held at the Social Welfare Centre of Sindh University, was presided over by University of Sindh Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui.

He said women are working side by side with their male partners to support their families against all odds.

He said that women were facing multiple problems and added that education was the only way to bring about improvement in the living conditions of rural women.

He said that it was very unfortunate that successive governments had paid no attention to the improvement in primary education for women.

Syeda Arfa Zehra, chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women said that her organisation was focusing on the improvement of status of women.

She said the visit of members of the organisation to rural areas was aimed at learning the real problems of rural women by organising open dialogue in different parts of the country.

She agreed with the vice-chancellor that due to lack of proper education the rural women were facing many problems.

Dr Qamar Wahid said that lack of development facilities and unemployment in rural areas has created a huge gap between rural and urban areas.

She said that due to unemployment and lack of opportunities people of the rural areas were migrating to cities.

She said that for a long time governments had neglected villages of Sindh and no industry or loan facilities were provided to the people of rural areas.