Media Coverage December 10, 2005
 Women Education: A must for Rights Awareness
Business Recorder, Islamabad
December 10, 2005
Economic empowerment of women will ultimately increase their participation in politics and create awareness about their rights, said Minister of State for Information Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli here on Friday. Speaking at the session titled "Displacement, Livelihoods and Rights Gender Experiences" on the last day of 3-day conference held under the auspices of SDPI, she declared women's education as a prerequisite for the assertion of their rights. Anisa Zeb underlined the need of increasing women's political participation, saying economic empowerment of the women was essential to increase their political participation and added that the government was moving ahead in this direction with full devotion and sincere intentions.
Ameena Mohsin from Bangladesh examined the marginalisation as well as participation of women in displacement, while Naila Hussain shared the experiences and priorities set by Afghan women during wartime.
The speakers in the session titled "Environmental/Green Accounting" drew the conclusion that environment must be given due place in the National Development Policy. They said that the government must allocate funds for raising awareness and conduct trainings since there was lack of basic knowledge and understanding of the issue. The speakers said that business firms must be involved in cost-sharing arising from the degradation of the natural resources.
Dr Muhammad Irfan Khan of Allama lqbal Open University (AIOU) stressed the need for corporate social responsibility and use of environment-friendly and cost-effective technology for saving energy. Abid Shah Husainy of Aga Khan University (AKU) recommended that Environmental Protection Act 1997 should be implemented in consultation with all the stakeholders including civil society organisations and NGOs.
Punjab University Assistant Professor Dr Iftikhar Ahmed opened the session on Disaster Management in the Context of Pakistan, saying that earthquakes were not predictable in the long term. But he said by observing and keeping records of groundwater levels, the presence of radioactive gases in groundwater, unusual animal behaviour, and most importantly patterns of tectonic movements could aid and help predict an earthquake. Dr Manzoor Ahmed Awan stressed that community preparedness, early warning systems, need of improvement in emergency rescue, relief and rehabilitation systems with reference to both pre-and post-disaster stages. Zulfiqar Ahmad from Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) said the energy released during the October 8 earthquake was equivalent to that of 200 atomic bombs.
The speakers Kiran Bhatty and. NiIs Rosemann in the session titled 'Privatisation of Public Services' stressed the need to strengthen the role of state in the provision of basic services such as water and education. Sharing the case of privatisation of education Bhatty pointed out that how the public education system was delivering much better in Himachal compared to the performance of private schools in Haryana.
Anisa terms Education as Key for Socio-economic Uplift
The Daily Mail, Islamabad
December 10, 2005
By Bushra Rafique
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli on Friday underlined education as a key policy instrument to achieve enhanced socio-economic and political empowerment of women. "The present government is following a multi-sectoral approach to bring women - half of country's population - at par with their male colleagues in all spheres of life, with education being a key element of the strategy." Anisa Zeb said chairing a session titled "Displacement, Livelihoods and Rights: Gendered Experiences" on the last day of a three-day Eighth Sustainable Development Conference, organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.
The session held in-depth discussion on the subject with speakers including Prof. Ameena Mohsin from Dhaka University, Naila Hussain and Farwa Zafar highlighting various aspects of women rights and vulnerability in their presentations. Saeed Shafqat spoke on the occasion as discussant. The Minister of State said, the government is following a multi-pronged strategy in coordination with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for integration of women in mainstream and in all spheres of life through socio-economic and political empowerment. She in this regard referred to government's devolution of power programme and the unprecedented participation of women in all tiers of politics from local bodies to provincial and national assemblies.
"Though, 73 women out of a total of 342 members in the National Assembly are not enough to make an enactment of a law, but they can voice their concerns and lobby for their rights." Anisa Zeb also referred to the unprecedented 33% women participation in local government and informed that 27,000 women were elected as councillors in the previous local government elections. She said, it was a major step forward to eliminate gender discrimination and to provide equal opportunities of socio-economic development to them. Similarly, Anisa said, the enhanced allocation of funds in education and health sectors would provide increased education and medical facilities to women, particularly in the rural areas.
The Minister of State said, a lot of change with regard to policy measures for women empowerment have taken place during last six years under the able leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. She said, the women unlike past are now being encouraged by the government to avail soft term micro- credit facilities from Khushali Bank, SMEDA, SME Bank and through NGOs and CSOs.
The Minister urged the CSOs and NGOs to play their effective role in creating awareness among women, particularly in backward areas of their due social and political rights. Anisa Zeb appreciated the SDPI for organizing the conference and said it would help the government and policy makers to take care of the problems of women in future policy initiatives.
Conference on Sustainable Development
Daily Times, Islamabad
December 08, 2005
By Zahid Hameed
The three-day conference on sustainable development began on Wednesday. The Sustainable Development Policy Institute has arranged the conference. Researchers, academicians and, scholars attended the event, The speakers made presentations on issues concerning women, employment, trade, gov ernance, health, peace, child labour and human rights.
Dr Salman Shah, the prime minister's advisor on finance, opened the conference and said that the provision of better health facilities to the masses was one of the main objectives of the government. Dr Shafqat Riaz, a researcher, said the government had failed to cut down the maternal mortality rate in the country because of under-funding in the health sector.
Dr Sania Nishtar called for increased public-private partnerships in delivery of health services to remote areas. "The government should use the private sector's services for vaccination, immunisation and other health services," she said.
Govt urged to devise Mechanism for Quake Prediction
The Nation, Islamabad
December 10, 2005
By Haq Nawaz
Earth and environmental sciences experts on Friday urged the government to make a mechanism that could lead to timely predictions about the earthquakes to avoid any future disaster. They expressed these views on the final day of a 3-day conference, organized by SDPI.
The Executive Director of SDPI Dr Saba Khattak and Shams-ul-Mulk, Chairman of SDPI's Board of Governors expressed vote of thanks to all the speakers, especially those from neighboring countries for making the event a success.
Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Punjab University, spoke on disaster management in Pakistan. He said though earthquakes were not predictable in the long term, records of groundwater level, the presence of radioactive gases in groundwater, fore-shocks, unusual animal behavior, and most importantly patterns of tectonic movements, could help 1in earthquake prediction. Ms Huma Haq from the Quaid-e-Azam University said that in the context of the earthquake, women were seen as having no identity without their men. She called for uniform decisions pertaining to their identity without the help of the state.
Dr Manzoor Ahmed Awan stressed that community preparedness, early warning systems, emergency rescue, relief and rehabilitation systems need to be improved with reference to both pre and post disaster stages. Dr Muhammad Irfan Khan, a government official, said there was mounting evidence linking global warming to glacial melt and earthquakes. He said that some of the manmade factors were affecting the intensity and frequency of earthquakes including loading the earth's crust with water reservoirs over fracture zones, disposing off chemical waste in deep wells, and setting off underground explosions. Zulfiqar Ahmad from Quaid-e-Azam University said that the energy released during the October 8th earthquake was equivalent to that of 200 atomic bombs.
Earlier, addressing the conference Ms Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, said women's education was a pre-requisite for the assertion of their rights. While speaking at the session titled Displacement, Livelihoods and Rights: Gender Experiences on the last day of the Sustainable Development Conference organized by SDPI here on Friday in Islamabad, she said that in order to increase women's political participation, it is essential to work on their economic empowerment. The government intends to take all necessary actions in order to achieve this, she informed.
Ms Ameena Mohsin from Bangladesh examined the marginalization as well as agency of women in displacement, while Ms Naila Hussain shared the experiences and priorities set by Afghan women during wartime.
Environment must be given due importance in the National Development Policy was the conclusion drawn by speakers in the panel on Environmental Green Accounting. They also recommended that the government must allocate funds for raising awareness and conduct training since there was lack of basic knowledge and understanding of this issue.
Ahmed Salim's presentation was a rich narration cataloguing the women sufi poets in South Asian society challenging the institutions of class, religion and patriarchy in the session on Women Mystic Poets: Dissenting Voices from South Asia. Ms Samina Rahman from Peshawar University tracked the woman's voice in Pushto poetry shifting romanticism, Sufism, nationalism to a gender critique of Pukhtoon society.
Experts pointed to the issue of class in student politics to a packed hall in the session on Students in Political Mobilization. Jamaluddin Naqvi's presentation looked into state suppression of student activism over the years and the deploring standards of educational standards. Sarfaraz Khan from Peshawar University mapped the growth of student politics in NWFP and the articulation of a socialist voice amongst the Pakhtoonkhwa Student Organization.
Ms. Kiran Bhatty, Nils Rosemann; Dr. Abdur Rab Khan from Bangladesh, Ms. Asma Yaqoob and Ms. Radhika Chopra from India also presneted their papers in the conference.
Gender Equality Top Priority
The News, Rawalpindi/Islamabad
December 10, 2005
By Rasheed Khalid
The participants of the Sustainable Development Conference organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute have asked the industrialised countries to reciprocate the steps towards trade liberalisation that poor members of the World Trade Organisation have already undertaken. They were speaking at the 3-day 8th Sustainable Development Conference organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).
Dr Salman Shah, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance, in his inaugural address said that development and gender equality are top priority areas for the government as both can deliver by bringing more women at higher positions, the appointment of the first woman governor of the State Bank is an example. He said the government introduced the concept of sustainable development in all major policy documents. He said the government was working towards making gender equality a reality in Pakistan by involvement of women in every walk of life on an equal footing to men.
Zia Awan while making linkages between violence against women and trafficking talked about socio-customary practices where women are treated as objects and commodities. Rubina Saigol of Action-Aid suggested that trafficking should also be linked to the phenomenon of globalisation.
Development Initiatives discussed at SDPI Conference
Pakistan Observer, Islamabad
December 10, 2005
By Zubair Qureshi
Marginalisation of women and their sufferings in war was focused in the presentations made on the last day of the three-day conference relating to Displacement, Livelihood and Rights of Women in Society. State Information Minister Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli was the chief guest at the concluding session of the conference hosted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) on Friday. She declared that the society expected women to be more educated to protect their inalienable right, adding ‘only education would help them to secure their rights.’
The minister also observed it was necessary to grant women increased political and financial powers, and provide them a level field to increase their income. She expected the government to take necessary action for achieving the desired objective. Two women participants, Ameena Mohsin and Naila Hussain, from Bangladesh, talked of marginalization and agony, which somehow had become the fate of women
In addition the conference devoted itself to discussion of ways and means to save energy and arrest degradation of natural resources, suggesting that these measures should be duly incorporated in development policies of the government. A recommendation was made to create awareness of and train women so that they were able to achieve the desired end.
Business firms should be involved to share to arrest further damages to natural resources. In this regard Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan of Allama Iqbal University pointed to the need of corporate social responsibility as well as use of environment friendly and cost effective technology to save energy. Mr. Abid Shah Husainy of Agha Khan University asked for implementation of the Environmental Protection Act 1997 and for enforcing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed, Assistant Professor of earth and environmental sciences at the Punjab University spoke on disaster management, and said earthquakes were not predictable but we keep records of groundwater levels, and unusual animal behavior, as well as tectonic movements.
Ms Huma Haq from the Quaid-e-Azam University stequal ressed in information sharing between men and women to deal with crises, adding that the media had actually documented stories of heroic women, who played a role during the recent earthquake. Dr. Manzoor Ahmed Awan stressed community preparedness, and improvement of early warning systems with reference to both pre and post disaster stages.
Eminent writer Ahmed Salim’s gave a presentation on women sufi poets which was further elaborated by Samina Rahman who traced women’s share in Pushto poetry. Jamaluddin Naqvi talked of falling education standard and Sarfaraz Khan University mapped the growth of student politics in NWFP.
Two other speakers Kiran Bhatty and Mr.Nils Rosemann said the state had an obligation to provide basic necessities such as water and education. Nils Rosemann reflected on privatisation of water in Manila that had impacted woefully on the poor section in the Philippines through the machination of multinational corporations. More than 70% people in Pakistan did not have access to clean drinking water and creative public-private solutions are needed to overcome the basic human need.
Education key to enhancing Political Empowerment of Women: Anisa
The Statesman, Peshawar
December 10, 2005
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli Friday underlined education as a key policy instrument to achieve enhanced socio-economic and political empowerment of women, "The present government is following a multi-sectoral approach to bring women - half of country's population at par with their male colleagues in all spheres of life, with education being a key element of strategy."
Anisa Zeb said chairing, session titled "Displacement Livelihoods and 'Rights: Gendered Experiences" on the last day of a three day Eighth Sustainable Development Conference, organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.
The session held in-depth discussion on the subject with speakers including Prof. Ameena Mohsin from Dhaka University, Naila Hussain and Farwa Zafar highlighting various aspects of women rights and vulnerability in their presentations. Saeed Shafqat spoke on the occasion as discussant.
The minister said the gov ernment is following a multi- pronged strategy in coordina tion with the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for integration of women in mainstream and in all spheres of life through socio-economic and political empowerment. She in this regard referred to government's devolution of power programme and the unprecedented participation of women in all tiers of politics from local bodies to provincial and national assemblies.
"Though, 73 women out of a total of 342 members in the National Assembly are not enough to make an enactment of a law, but they can voice their concerns and lobby for their rights." Anisa Zeb also referred to the unprecedented 33 percent women participation in local government and informed that 27,000 women were elected as councillors in the previous local government elections. She said it was a major step forward to eliminate gender discrimination and to provide equal opportunities of socio-economic development to them. Similarly, Anisa said, the enhanced allocation of funds in education and health sectors would provide increased education and medical facilities to women, particularly in the rural areas.
Anisa stresses Women’s Education
The News, Rawalpindi/Islamabad
December 11, 2005
By Rasheed Khalid
Women's education is a pre-requisite for the assertion of their rights, said Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli. She was speaking on the concluding day of the three-day 'Sustainable Development Conference' organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here Friday evening. Anisa said that economic empowerment of women was essential to increase women's participation in the political process. She said that the government intends to take all necessary actions in this respect.
Abid Shah Husainy of the Aga Khan University observed that the Environmental Protection Act 1997 should be implemented in consultation with all stakeholders, including civil society organisations and NGOs. He said that all environmental impact assessments must be made compulsory before taking any initiative on development. Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan of the Allama Iqbal Open University stressed on the need for corporate social responsibility and use of environment-friendly and cost-effective technology for saving energy.
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed of the Punjab University said that while earthquakes were not predictable in the long term, observing and keeping records of groundwater levels, presence of radioactive gases in groundwater, foreshocks, unusual animal behaviour and patterns of tectonic movements could aid the process of earthquake prediction. Huma Haq of the Quaid-i-Azam University said that in the context of the earthquake, women were seen as having no identity without' their men and decisions were being taken without the state help. She lamented that media talked little about stories of heroic women.
Dr. Manzoor Ahmed Awan stressed that community preparedness, early warning systems, emergency rescue, relief and rehabilitation systems should be improved with reference to both pre- and post-disaster stages. Dr. Muhammad Irfan Khan said there was mounting evidence linking global warming to glacial melt and earthquakes. He explained that some of the man-made factors affecting the intensity and frequency of earthquakes included loading the earth's crust with water reservoirs over fracture zones, disposing of chemical waste in deep wells, and setting off underground explosions. Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad of the Quaid-i-Azam University said that the energy released during the October 8 earthquake was equivalent to that of 200 atomic bombs.
Moneeza Hashmi said that passivity of the filmgoers and the government's lack of interest contributed to the fall of cinema in Pakistan. Samar Minallah said that a successful documentary should be cognizant of the social, cultural and religious sensitivities of the target audience.
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