By Asim Hussain
ISLAMABAD: Empowering young women is key to Pakistan’s sustainable social and economic development,†said Usman Dar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs here on Monday.
Addressing the launching ceremony of “Young Women in Pakistan: Status Report 2020†as the chief guest, he said the report was a “great initiative for all of us to understand the challenges young women face and seek advice for informed policies and actions to address those challenges. Our government is committed to empowering youth, with special focus on young women, so that the targets of Sustainable Development Goals are achieved.â€
The report has been launched by UN Women Pakistan and the National Commission on the Status of Women with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pakistan. Center of Gender and Policy Studies (CGaPS) provided technical support in conducting research and compiling the report.
The report seeks to address knowledge gaps by identifying needs, priorities and action for empowerment of young women, and support advocacy for increased investment in young women. It looks at the status of young women in Pakistan and shows how strategic investment will accelerate progress and actions to empower them.
“We look forward to working in close collaboration with UN Women to ensure young women have equal access to skill development opportunities and resources,†Usman Dar said.
Khawar Mumtaz, Senior Researcher and Activist and former NCSW chief, said, “Female youths in Pakistan have not received much policy attention and as citizens of tomorrow merit due place in policy discourse — a nation cannot hope to achieve its objectives by leaving large segment of its population behind. This report seeks to see where the issues are, as we need to have an analysis of issues first to find befitting solutions and develop frameworks to ensure young women unleash their full potential.â€
Secretary NCSW Humera Azam Khan, in her remarks, said, “It is indeed a quintessential research report relevant to the present-day context, analytical in profile and insightful in its recommendations.†She thanked UN Women for supporting this very important initiative.
Earlier, Aisha Mukhtar, Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan, in her opening remarks, said that Pakistan was a country with a youthful demographic profile.
