Ahsan Iqbal launches citizen’s guide to prevent gender based violence

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday unveiled the Citizen’s Guide to Prevent Gender Based Violence (GBV).

The Minister said in his address to the participants that if Pakistan is to be put on the path of rapid development, we must involve 100% of the population in the national development process. According to a press release issued here, the Planning Minister has started a number of projects for women as part of its development budget. In order to consider and evaluate development projects from a gender perspective, the Ministry established a gender unit.

The Minister emphasized that women are only eligible for 50% of the government-sponsored scholarship programs. Speaking to women at Citizen Guide’s opening ceremony, Ahsan stated that nearly half of the Young Development Fellows YDFs Program’s initiators are girls who have led the most effective campaign against gender discrimination in Pakistani universities. He mentioned that the goal of the YDFs’ campaign against GBV was to educate female students on how to defend themselves from all forms of violence. Similar to this, Citizen Guide will benefit women in this way. The Minister also emphasized that the government would soon launch an internship program that would give women and recent graduates equal opportunities.

Similarly, the government is also starting an InnovationFund program, through which women entrepreneurs will be encouraged and provided funds to run their business so that they can become role models for other women.