Gilgit (PR): The 2nd Annual Women’s Summit for Strengthening Bonds, Finding Joy & Developing Collective Voice was held at old Assembly Building Chinar Bagh in Gilgit city. The event was a collaborative effort involving UN Women, the Department of Women Development and Social Welfare Gilgit-Baltistan, the UNDP GLOF-II Project, and other organizations.
The summit was addressed by Country Representative of UN Women Pakistan Lansana Wonneh, Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Dilshad Bano, along with Minister for Information Technology Surya Zaman, Chairman Reforms Committee Amjad Hussain Advocate, Member G-B Assembly Kulsoom Farman, Chief Secretary G-B Abrar Ahmad Mirza, Head of Soni Jawari Center for Public Policy Izhar Hanzai, and others
The speakers emphasized gender equality, women’s rights, leadership, women’s involvement in entrepreneurship, challenging gender-specific norms, women’s health and wellness, education, and economic empowerment. They highlighted that the Charter of Demand presented at the first summit provided a comprehensive framework to tackle the critical issues faced by the G-B women related to domestic and workplace harassment, access to quality education, economic prosperity, and basic employment needs.
Addressing the summit, Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan Abrar Ahmad Mirza said that the G-B- Legislative Assembly has passed an act in 2022 to enhance the status of women in the region, which has also been approved by the cabinet after necessary amendments.
The Gilgit-Baltistan government has also approved the “Gilgit-Baltistan Workplace Harassment Rules 2023” and established Anti-Harassment Committees in government departments to address such incidents, said Chief Secretary G-B.
He further added that the GB Government has approved the establishment of District Offices for the Directorate of Women Development in the Skardu and Diamer regions to facilitate awareness sessions. Small and Medium Enterprises in 34 tehsils of GB are providing Skill Development Centres, IT skills, and production units to economically empower women in these areas. This initiative aims to empower 30,000 women across GB.
He further mentioned that, under an ongoing scheme to build women’s capacity in demand-driven trades, women in five districts will receive training in freelancing, dress designing, cooking, and baking. The scheme also includes gym and daycare facilities for women. Additionally, a mental health program has been launched to reduce suicides and engage youth in positive activities, in collaboration with various stakeholders. In this context, the Youth Development Centre has been established with technical and financial support from UNFPA, providing IT training and social spaces.
Country Head of UN Women, Lansana Wonneh, also addressed the occasion. In her speech, she highlighted the initiatives undertaken by UN Women for women’s development and praised the cooperation of the G-B government in implementing projects related to women.
The event was attended by a diverse group of individuals, including members of parliament, departmental secretaries, government officials, NGO representatives, civil society members, media personnel, students, and a large number of women.
