Speakers at a seminar on Monday stressed upon the women to play their active role in socioeconomic development of the country with the tool of education, skills and their rights as per injunction of Islam in order to compete with rest of the world.

Speakers at a seminar on Monday stressed upon the women to play their active role in socioeconomic development of the country with the tool of education, skills and their rights as per injunction of Islam in order to compete with rest of the world. They were addressing a divisional level seminar on women empowerment at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad at Iqbal Auditorium on the eve of International Women Day . The seminar was jointly arranged by Social Welfare Department; Rural Sociology Department , UAF; and USAID funded Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security. Chairing the session, Commissioner Faisalabad Naseem Nawaz said Islam attaches great importance to women with excellent rights of inheritance, and their role etc. The rays of Islam have broken the prejudice against women. He also said as per saying of Quaid-e-Azam, the discrimination against women should come to a close with their rights and active participation in socio-economic activities. He said that the Punjab Assembly had passed the protection of women against violence bill 2015 which strengthens women in term of remedies for victims of violence etc. He said that it was a matter of concern that especially in the rural areas, women were not being given their due rights that needs to be addressed. UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said women are excelling in the every field of life. He said that the education works as engine of growth to address social and economic issue. He said the empowerment of the women was vital to achieve the dream of development. The women constitute more than 50 percent of the total population. We could not progress without involving them in social and economic life and bringing them into mainstream. He praised the government for the taking the initiatives for the cause of women emancipation. He also said that women are outshining the men in education Talking about the UAF initiatives, he said that the University was making all-out efforts to provide the modern facilities to the women. The women faculty members are 150 compared to 35 four years ago. The gender ratio in the postgraduate programs is 47 women to 53 men. The Day Care Centre, Women Complex comprising four hostels with state-of-the-art residential and sports facilities, Career Development Centre and working women hostel had been added. He said two new girls hostels with a capacity of 2000 students and women sports complex are been constructed for girls. Government College Women University Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Naureen Aziz Qureshi said that women were the great asset for the society. They are playing an intensive role model not only as a house keeper but also as the working force in all aspects of life. She said that GCUFW was Faisalabad’s first women university which was taking all possible steps to educate them. MNA Khalida Mansoor said that women as mothers, sisters and daughters were playing a pivotal role for the development of the country. She said that the governemtn was committed to provide them their due rights and empower them so that challenges of the modern era counted be met. MPA Madiha Rana stressed upon the need to provide the education for the women which comprises half of population. She said that government was making the revolutionary steps for the women that will help them in enhancing their role in the socio economics activities. CAS Chief of Party Prof Dr Bashir Ahmad said that we are running the gender marinating programme under fifty percent quota is reserved for the women in the recruitment and scholarships. US University of California Prof Dr Nancy said that in the developed countries, the women are standing shoulder to shoulder with men. She stressed the need to increase the literacy rate so that different issues can be addressed. Dean faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Iqbal Zafar, Arfa Karim’s mother Samina Amjad, lecturer Rabia Faredi and other notables also spoke on the occasion,