EU hosts 1st annual Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Conference

By
Maheen Khan
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European Union's Gender Empowerment Commitment
European Union's Gender Empowerment Commitment at the 1st KP women conference

Islamabad, 22 August 2022 (TDI): European Union (EU) in partnership with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Commission on the Status of Women hosted the 1st annual Khyber Pakhtunkhwa conference on the important role of women in KP and Society.

GIZ Pakistan, Cowater International, and the Embassy of Canada and Germany in Pakistan, also collaborated for the event.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Conference

The 1st KP Women Conference, which was held on Monday morning, aimed to build and support structures to strengthen women in their role as agents for development in society.

Gender equality and the fight against violence against women was the core of European Union policies in Europe and other partner countries. In Pakistan, Gender equality is included in the priority areas for the European Union.

Also Read: EU launches Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 

The conference was attended by high officials from Germany, Canada, Country Director Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Pakistan (GIZ) as well as, Ovidiu Mic, Head of Cooperation at the European Union.

The conference commenced with a traditional performance which was a tribute to the central role of women in society, arts, culture, and the preservation of cultural heritage in Pakistan.

Chairperson, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women, Rifat Sardar, in her address highlighted the role of the KPCSW in ensuring that no woman is left behind in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Pakistani women are at the forefront of innovation & progress in science, technology, engineering, IT, sports”, she said in her address.

Barrister Dr. Muhammad Ali Saif, Special Assistant to Chief Minister KP, in his address at the conference highlighted the importance of women’s participation in society.  “Without empowering women, one can’t dream of an empowered society,” he said.

Remarks of Canada’s High Commissioner to Pakistan

High Commissioner of Canada to Pakistan, Wendy Gilmour, in her address at the 1st KP Women Conference also highlighted the importance of women’s role in public spaces.

Moreover, she said that Canada is “working to advance women’s equal access to services, rights & opportunities in sports, health, education, voice & agency.”

Remarks of German Ambassador-Designate

German Ambassador-Designate, Alfred Grannas, in his address expressed his gratitude to be part of an event that enables women of KP to engage and participate in dialogue and political spheres.

Remarks of Country Director of GIZ, Pakistan

Country Director of GIZ in Pakitan, Tobias Becker, highlighted the need for women to have a permanent role in the political dialogue.

GIZ is the main German development agency headquartered in Bonn and Eschborn that provides services in the field of international development cooperation and international education work.

Apart from that, many leading women entrepreneurs, politicians, senior bureaucrats, and educationists addressed the conference highlighting their life-long struggles.

They also highlighted the importance of women’s education as well as their active participation in the society. Moreover, Lieutenant General Nigar Gohar also addressed at the Conference.

Women’s Literacy rate In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

It is pertinent to not that according to the Pakistan Economic Survey (PES) 2021-22 “literacy rate among males is 73.4. The literacy rate among females increased slightly to 51.9% in the Fiscal year 2020-21 from 51.5% in the Fiscal year 2018-19.”