GILGIT, Oct 28: The government has taken revolutionary steps for the development of the women and has given more rights to them as compared to the previous governments.

This was stated by Fida Mohammad Nashad, Deputy Chief Executive, Northern Areas, while speaking to the participants at the concluding session of the two-day conference on the ‘Gender and Poverty’, here the other day.

He said the government had enhanced representation of the women in the national and provincial assemblies, besides giving them 33 per cent seats in the local councils to ensure their optimum participation in the mainstream politics.

The participants were divided into three groups representing different areas which were identified as the key areas for the empowerment of the women.

The first group deliberated on the recommendations for the implementation of the Women Policy in the Northern Areas.The second group deliberated on approaching those areas, which involved working with religious groups.—APP