ISLAMABAD: Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP),
Farzana Raja has said that the present democratic government has taken
concrete and practical steps to advance the cause of women empowerment
in the country.
She was explaining various initiatives of BISP
to Syeda Fiza Batool Gilani, Goodwill Ambassador for Women Empowerment,
here at BISP Secretariat on Tuesday. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant
Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Secretary BISP Sher Khan and other officials were
also present on the occasion.
She said that the passage of
Anti-Women Practices Bill 2011 is another example of pro-poor agenda of
the government. It is being expected that the women folk would now play
more vibrant and effective role in the progress and development of the
country.
While speaking on the occasion, Syeda Fiza Batool
Gilani declared the women empowerment in the country imperative and need
of the hour. She said the role of BISP in this regard is highly
appreciable and it would have far reaching impact on the overall
economic and social development of the country. She expressed her good
wishes and support for further progress and success of the programme.
Farzana
Raja said that BISP is the major programme in the country which is
striving for the economic and social empowerment of the women. She
informed Syeda Fiza Batool Gilani that more than 15 million women across
Pakistan have obtained their National Identity Card after because of
the various pro-poor initiatives of BISP, thus achieved their
identification as citizens of Pakistan. She said that in a short span of
three years, BISP has achieved remarkable success due to continuous
support and guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime
Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
The BISP Chairperson said that it
was first time in the history of Pakistan that a programme in the social
sector has made its outreach to almost 7 million poor families
belonging to downtrodden segments of society. After successful launch of
its various projects i.e. Waseela-e- Haq, Waseela-e-Rozgaar and
Waseela-e-Sahat, she added, BISP is now all set to enroll more than one
million children of beneficiary families in schools by April next year
under its Waseela-e-Taleem Programme.
Farzana Raja said that the
measures of BISP have contributed in the women empowerment in FATA as
well where door-to-door poverty survey has been completed in Bajour and
Kurram Agencies while it is under process in other tribal areas. She
said that a 20% reduction in the poverty could be expected in the next 5
to 10 years as a result of the relentless efforts of BISP. Online
