Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), in collaboration with Bardasht Foundation held provincial consultations to discuss local government act and system in Sindh today at Avari Towers, Karachi. Various civil society organizations, media representatives and politicians were present at the event. Women representation, in the local government of Sindh, was the focus of the consultations.
Different recommendations were tabled with prime focus on ensuring 33% representation of women at national, provincial and local government levels. Chairperson NCSW reiterated the role of women in policy formulation and implementation and how this increased representation would safeguard women’s interests and rights. Other recommendations included reserving either chairperson or vice chairperson position for woman in all panels and increasing quota for minorities, people with special abilities, transgender and women to guarantee that their voices and concerns are reflected at the higher levels of government.
While speaking on the occasion, Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar said: “Women representation in the lowest tier of government, that is, local government is crucial for ensuring the formulation and implementation of gender-specific policies.”
The consultation ended with the concluding remarks from Chairperson NCSW who expressed that this endeavor would make certain that political participation of women increases throughout the country.
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