Pakistan will thrive as more women participate in the economy. That was the message behind a keynote speech delivered by Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation at the U.S.-Pakistan Women in the Economy Symposium today. Hosted by the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University in coordination with the US-Pakistan Women’s Council, the roundtable was focussed on ambitious ideas to propel women in the economy forward.
Dr. Nishtar joined the meeting, which took place in College Station, Texas, via video-link. During her speech she highlighted the multiple policies under the Ehsaas programme which are driving women’s fuller participation in both the economy and society.
“Women’s empowerment is beneficial to Pakistan’s society and our economy and Ehsaas is dedicated to furthering their full participation in all parts of life,” said Dr. Nishtar following the event. “A country cannot thrive when half of its population are not educated and enabled to fulfil their potentials, which is why we are promoting a wide range of policies – from scholarships to mobile phones – to tackle the systemic gender inequality.”
According to the latest figuresfrom the United Nations Development Program’s Gender Equality Index, only a quarter of women are active in the labour market in Pakistan.
Other speakers at the event included Michael Young, President of Texas A&M University and Alice Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State
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