LAHORE, Feb 5: Women MNAs and MPAs on Wednesday vowed to build pressure on the government to enact laws on women empowerment and implement those in the assemblies.

Speaking at a conference on advocacy campaigner for women’s political empowerment organized by the Citizen Commission for Human Development, MNA Mehnaz Rafi regretted that many commissions were formed in the past to empower women, but without success.

She said only implementation of the women empowerment laws could improve the state of women. Despite enactment of laws, she said, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and violence against women were rampant in the society.

She urged the women parliamentarians to take up ordinary women’s problems in the assemblies and pressure government to give them their due respect.

Ms Mehnaz demanded the government to give women MNAs and MPAs representation in the standing committees so that they could fight for their rights.

MPAs Shagufta Anwar, Dr Samia and Qudsia Lodhi pressed the government to focus on women education and health, and allocate maximum budget for these.

They demanded the government to induct educated lady health visitors for proper implementation of family planning in the province. They also called for better care of women prisoners.

To remove an age-old educational system in the remote areas of the province, they suggested, the government should send postgraduate teachers there.

The women parliamentarians pledged to work shoulder to shoulder with men to recognize their importance in society. Some of the participants flayed the government for not making any woman a minister at federal and provincial level.

CCHD Executive Director Farah Pervez Saleh said the commission would organize conferences regularly to keep women abreast with the latest issues. Women from all walks of life would be invited to these conferences, she added.