(March 09, 2020)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and Former Provincial Minister, Mian Zahid Hussain has said that discrimination of women is a serious issue which is not limited to developing countries.
Many countries including Pakistan has done a lot to empower women but all the efforts have left much to be desired, he said.
Speaking to Third Women Law Conference as Guest of Honour, he said that the United Nations Women’s Treaty which was implemented a few decades ago was supposed to give women right to take part in their nations political and public life but that hasn’t changed much.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that women are still unable to purchase their own property, they are denied right of inheritance in many societies.
The Former Minister noted that In Pakistan gender biases are rife; they are facing issues like sexual harassment, problems regarding education, respect, marriage rape, honour killings, wani, insecurities and injustice which has a negative impact on their mental health.
One of the most disturbing is that in parts of Pakistan and other countries, “honour killings” are still practiced. These killings can be brought on by women due to many reasons of which many are unjustified and fabricated.
He said that it is also an open secret that millions of women work as unpaid labourers in Pakistan while it is very hard for women to step into business and become successful because they are not taken seriously by government and private sector while banks avoid lending which reduces their chances of expanding their businesses.
He said that women are also discriminated in the west. In many states females have higher education rates and work more than men in the same profession they still get paid less and kept insecure.
There is still twenty to forty percent pay gap between men and women working in the same field which merits some progress. The pay gap should be decreased to empower women.
He noted that wow women are getting better, they are knowing their rights and they can be seen active in various fields in which men should fully cooperate with them as empowered women are key to development of society and economy.
The Business Leader said that FPCCI fully supports women entrepreneurs which can be proved by existence of eleven chambers under its umbrella representing all parts of the country.
“I believe that if we keep shedding a light on the discrimination of women and keep trying to improve situation, we can hopefully change things for the better”, he said.
