RAWALPINDI, Nov 26: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar apprehended that the women might lose 33 per cent representation in the local bodies if the women councillors did not improve their performance.
She was speaking at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the district resource centre for women here on Friday. She said the women councillors were not ready to effectively raise the women issues despite being the most appropriate persons for highlighting such things.
She immediately followed this up with the first shot of warning saying: "If our role remains the same, we may lose this 33% quota." Then she repeated the government assertion that women councillors would get honorarium from next year, as allocation in the budget would be made for this purpose.
If the women press the government too much for the honorarium, they may end up losing the 33% representation, she added. She asked the women councillors if they would go for re-election even if they don't get the honorarium. The answer was a big disappointment as only a handful of representatives raised their hands.
About the role of police in cases of violence against women, she said the law-enforcement agencies needed to be sensitised in handling such cases. She quoted the example of a burn victim, whose husband was absconding because of police indifference.
She said the district Nazim had assured her of his arrest within 36 hours, but the culprit could not be arrested even after the passage of one month. On the issue of setting up of a burn unit in Rawalpindi, she said the city was automatically second in line after Lahore for getting assistance from Baitul Maal for this purpose.
The advisor said banks like First Women Bank and Khushhali Bank were preparing micro-credit schemes for the councillors. Regarding the district women resource centres, which are being set up to facilitate the working of women councillors, she said in principle every district would get one centre. "But, funds are available only for 10 centres, one each in the provincial metropolis and six others in Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Jaffarabad, Hangu, Multan and Sargodha." Earlier, District Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani termed Rs1.9 million allocation for the resource centre, as insufficient for a quality centre. He asked Mrs Bakhtiar to arrange more finances.
Nevertheless, he assured her that the district government would go allout for the successful running of the project. "We are in favour of effective participation of women in every sphere of life," he said.
Mrs Bakhtiar, talking to this reporter about the fear of 33% representation for women in local bodies being withdrawn, said "I am trying to get this 33% representation enhanced and all depends upon how much they deliver," she added.