Women councillors’ role praised

Published May 11, 2006

MIRPURKHAS, May 10: Village women councillors are already emerging as catalysts for positive change at the community level throughout Pakistan.

This was stated by MNA from Karachi Gul-e-Farkhanda while addressing a workshop held in Nagarparkar, Tharparkar on Wednesday.

Pointing out that importance of rural women councillors and their role can be seen in multiple dimensions, the MNA said these include social, political and economic aspects of society while the most fundamental change is with regard to the belated acknowledgement by men of the fundamental rights of women.

The workshop was attended by a large number of village women including women councillors from different parts of Tharparkar and village men including nazims, naib nazims and members of tehsil councils and union councils.

Office-bearers of community-based organisations from remote villages and from cities and towns of Sindh also participated in the event.

Speaking on the occasion, the founding President of Baanhn Beli, Javed Jabbar stated that even though the level of poverty in Tharparkar is much higher than other parts of the country, the people of Tharparkar possess tremendous qualities of cultural and religious harmony, innate intelligence, capacity for hard work in harsh conditions and have the potential to reduce their poverty by becoming more self-reliant and self-confident.

The inaugural session was addressed by former MPA Tikkam Das, Nagarparkar Taluka Naib Nazim Magan Lal, Nagarparkar Union Council Nazim Sardar Ahmed Khoso, former Nazim of a Union Council in Mirpurkhas, Gohram Baloch, former Nazim Union Council Nagarparkar Dalpat Rai, women councillors Rani, Bhao, Bheera and Director Baanhn, Younus Bandhani.—APP