ISLAMABAD, March 22: The ministry of women development, social welfare and special education will help set up as many as 40 more police stations and seven crisis centres for women in distress all over the country.

Speaking at a Press conference on Saturday, Ms Nilofer Bakhtiar, the advisor to prime minister on women development, said: “Our discussions with the departments concerned both at national and provincial levels have completed in connection with setting up of women police stations.”

At present, there are only three crisis centres and 10 women police stations in the country.

The advisor said the facility would also be extended to far-flung areas such as FATA and AJK.

“Besides, the ministry will also make shelter homes for the suffering women, where they would be able to stay for some time.”

Ms Nilofer said majority of women were still facing a number of predicaments ranging from patriarchal society-related rituals to the discriminatory laws, which were still included in the statute book.

To a question, she said, National Commission on Status of women (NCSW) constituted by the military government through an ordinance would be given more powers so that it could effectively work for the welfare of women.

She said in the second phase of cabinet expansion, women parliamentarians would be given due share.

Sharing her experience of visit to the UN, she said election of 40,000 women in the local governments and reservation of women seats in the National Assembly and the Senate were lauded during the plenary session of the UN Commission.

“This year, the main themes of the commission were: Use of information and communication technologies for the women empowerment and violence against women”, she said.

Therefore, the ministry of women development was undertaking a number of literacy programmes for women councillors.

In this regard,” two projects —- one for IT training and second for literacy for women councillors —- have already been started”, she said.

She told newsmen that the government was planning to set up special offices at every district headquarter through which women parliamentarian would be able to interact with the women councillors for the solution of their problems.