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Women Empowerment

Chapter
17

Women Empowerment
Promoting equality and empowerment of women is not only a development priority but
also a human right issue. Constitutional safeguards and international commitments in
relation to Convention for Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the
Beijing Platform of Action, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and several
other UN human rights conventions and covenants are also to be honored. The
national commitments include the Women’s Empowerment Policy, the National Plan of
Action, the Gender Reform Action Program, the Benazir Income Support Program
(BISP), and Protection against Harassment at Workplace.

The National Plan of Action and National Policy for Development and Empowerment of
Women elaborate key policy measures for social, economic political and legal
empowerment of women, such as:
 Gender sensitive need based policy programs and projects.
 Developing multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches for women’s
development with horizontal and vertical linkages at all levels;
 Mainstreaming gender issues through integration into all sectors of national
development; and
 Protecting women’s legal rights and entitlements.

Issues and Challenges

The intended benefits of mainstream development agendas could not be transformed

fully because of social positioning of women and several constraints; gender based
violence, restricted mobility, absence from decision making structures, inability to
access justice, and failure to attain political and economic equality. In addition to the
obstacles to women’s empowerment emanating from systematic economic and social
marginalization, women of Pakistan, in addition, in the recent past have been
subjected to the threat of extremism, militancy and obscurantism through a surge in
sociopolitical conservatism. The major challenges for women development and
empowerment are briefly mentioned as:
 Discriminatory laws, parallel legal system and ruling of Jirgas, Panchayats
impede realization of equal citizenship to women.
 Neglect of human security due to state centric approach to security.
 Religious extremism and potential violence against women due to patriarchal
understanding of religion and culture in conflict areas.
 Non-recognition of women work in rural areas and informal sector in GDP.
 Lack of access to resources, basic facilities and entitlements: economic, social
and political.
 Ineffective representation of women’s issues and concerns in policy formulation
and implementation process.
 Exclusionary attitude of state machineries and governance mechanism.
 Exclusion of gender consciousness in hard sectors.
 Dimensions of gender gap in education.
 Inadequate health and reproductive outcomes for women.

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Women Empowerment

Strategy

The Economic Growth Framework prepared by the Planning Commission lays

emphasize on productivity led growth through community and youth development.
Proactive role of the private sector is recognized while the Government would be more
of a facilitator to protect rights, provision of public services, such as education, health
and protection against exploitative practices. It also acts as a catalyst to promote
innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development for empowerment of women.
Women being potential resource for development require key policy and strategy
changes for their optimal involvement in the development process. As women’s
concerns are cross-cutting in nature following two clear policy directions have been
chalked out that will integrate gender issues systematically across other sectors.

 Rights-based framework where women are seen as citizens who require

affirmative action to ensure their equality and empowerment as effective
human capital.
 Overall development programs should expand women’s economic
opportunities, ensure health accessibility and effective improvement in women
specific health indicators, and assuring education, security and rights

Based on the above policy directions, main elements of the women empowerment
strategy are presented as under:

 Power and decision-making within the private and public sector

 Governance and institutional mechanisms
 Women’s legal rights and entitlements
 Economy, poverty and livelihoods
 Women, security and violence

Past performance of women empowerment programs and outlook for the next year
2010-11 are discussed in the light of above stated strategy.

Review of 2010-11

An amount of Rs 153 million were allocated to Ministry of Women Development for

implementation of 26 development schemes for the year 2010-11. The Ministry is
expected to utilize Rs 51 million. Brief progress on various programs undertaken
during 2010-11 is given below.

Reforms

A hallmark program of Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented to

mainstream gender at all levels of governance structure. Key reform areas were: (i)
institutional restructuring (ii) policies and fiscal reforms (iii) women employment in
public sector and (iv) women`s political participation. GRAP envisaged building
partnerships and forging linkages with various public sectors, Ministries/Divisions and
District Governments to realize its goal of Gender Mainstreaming at all tiers of
governance structure.

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Women Empowerment

Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women

(CEDAW)

Pakistan is signatory to CEDAW and is required to submit regular reports to the UN

Committee to present progress of the National Plan of Action. Information collected
and compiled for reporting on regular intervals for sharing and follow-up of
recommendation with the stakeholders. The 4th Report on CEDAW implementation has
been under process for submission to the UN committee. National Plan of Action for
CEDAW implementation has been developed.

Physical targets and achievements of Women Development Programs during 2010-11

are briefly presented in Table 17.1.

Table 17.1: Women Empowerment; Physical Targets and Achievements 2010-11

No of
Sub-Sector Targets Achievement
Projects
The project has
Mainstream Gender at all levels
been institutionalized
of governance structure through
Reforms 1 within the overall
institutional, policy and political
frame work of
reforms.
MoWD.
Micro Credit 1 2,700 women 639 women

Skill Training 4 4,000 women 4,000 women

Family Protection,
Rehabilitation & 5 5,500 women 3,969 women
Crises Centers
Construction of 10 Bashalanis in 2 Bashalanis have
Health Care 1
Kalash Valley been completed.
Mobility Support 6 10 Buses 10 provided.
Awareness Raising
2 2,00 women 2,100 women

Programs for 2011-12

Activities of the federal, provincial and district governments and some attached
departments/autonomous organization will be consolidated for empowerment of
women through socio economic, legal and political reforms. For skill enhancement of
women especially rural women, existing infrastructure/institutions in the provincial
government and of NGOs in potential rural areas in least developed regions will be
utilized.

Services to women in distress would be expanded. Women issues would also be

addressed through Alternate Dispute Resolution in order to provide free, effective and
quick method to dispense justice. The CEDAW monitoring will be reoriented to
effectively report development efforts, achievement across policies agenda and
international commitments for women empowerment activities.

An amount of Rs 21 million has been proposed for PSDP 2011-12 for continuation of
selected Women Development Programs at the federal level. These programs
include:
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Women Empowerment

 Family protection and rehabilitation center Islamabad;

 Establishment of Shaheed Benazir Centers and Women Empowerment
Centers in AJK & Resource Center in Gilgit – Baltistan;
 CEDAW follow up and implementation;
 Developing Woolen Center for Women Development in Baltistan;
 Establishing Day Care Center at International Islamic University, Islamabad;

Legislation

Significant measures taken by the Government for legal empowerment of women are
as under:
 The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act (2004) made changes in the existing
criminal law to deal effectively with offenders of honor killing.
 Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance 2006 to grant bail to
women in jails on charges other than terrorism and murder.
 Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006 has been enacted
to provide relief and protection to women against misuse and abuse of law and
to prevent their exploitation. The object of this Act is to bring the laws relating
to Zina and Qazaf, in particular, in conformity with the stated objectives of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Constitutional mandate and in particular to
provide relief and protection to women against misuse and abuse of law. This
Act provides 30 important amendments in the existing “Offence of Zina and
Qazaf (Enforcement of Hadood Ordinance 1979)”, the “Pakistan Penal Code
(Act XLV of 1860)”, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (Act V of 1898)”, and
the “Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939”.
 Protection Against Harassment: The punishment for the crime has been
increased to three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 500,000. Besides,
penalties, including demotion, compulsory retirement and dismissal from
service for the perpetrators have been proposed.

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