KARACHI, Nov 18: The participants of a seminar underlined the need for developing a targeted programme to remove gender disparities in the society.

The seminar on “Healthy Women, Healthy Society” was organized by the Society of Friends here on Saturday. The speakers said women should have access to education, food, employment, control over resources and decision-making.

Sindh Secretary for Forest and Environment, Shamsul Haq Memon, called for developing targeted programmes and planes to remove disparities between women and men in accessing to basic rights.

He was of the view that if the disparities could not be removed, these should be at least curtailed so that women can have access to education, health, food, resources, etc. He said gender disparities in these areas badly affected health and social status of women, affecting the future generations.

Mr Memon noted that health problems were arising out of the social status of an average woman in Pakistan.

He said that social status of women is greatly influenced by five factors: impact of feudal society, early age marriages, large family phenomenon, vulnerability to water-borne diseases, gender disparity and restricted mobility.

He called for modifying the value system, emphasis on equality, mutual respect, and dignity of both the genders.

Organizer and vice-president of the Society, Seema Samad, said that women’s health is at greater risk than that of men due to her biological make-up and her position in the society.

Smoke of wood and dung, which are the main fuels in rural kitchen, are more injurious to health than tobacco, she said, adding that women are beast of burden in a feudal society.

President of the Society, Maula Bux Chand, said that importance of female education has been established globally.

He said female education could lead to reduced fertility, improve child health, lower infant mortality rate and enhance awareness of the need for a better environment, besides improving prospects for economic productivity.—APP