PESHAWAR, March 10: Speakers at a round-table conference on Sunday urged the government and civil society to impart proper training to women MNAs, MPAs and councillors so that they could effectively raise issues pertaining to women development.

The participants said the system of indirect elections for women would not serve the purpose of bringing women in the mainstream political process.

They said women should have been exempted from the condition of graduation during the general elections. They urged the political parties to provide due representation to women in cabinets.

 The conference arranged by Citizens’ Commission on Women Development (CCWD) also highlighted the importance of formation of interactive groups of women MNAs, MPAs and councillors irrespective of their political affiliations to struggle for the rights of women.

MPA Dr Simeen Mahmood Jan said that the reserved seats for women were outcome of a long struggle. She added that now when a large number of women made it to the parliament and provincial assemblies they should highlight the plight of womenfolk. She pointed out that women had been facing various problems pertaining to their education, health facilities, potable water, and political empowerment.

Arshid Haroon, regional head of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) said a great responsibility lies on the civil society to safeguard the rights of the vulnerable groups including women.

Shahida Tabbasum, central coordinator of CCWD and Aamir Mughal, provincial coordinator, explained the salient features of their programme. They elaborated the struggle waged by women for their rights. They pointed out that the NWFP was the first province in Pakistan from where a female, Begum Naseem Wali Khan, got elected on a general seat against a male candidate after the promulgation of 1973 Constitution.

Women councillors Shazia Tehmas, Rozeena Johar, Rukhsana and Safia Naz also spoke on the occasion.