Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday called for collective action through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to promote women empower-ment, saying the progress of women was essential for the development and prosperity of nations.
Addressing the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad, she said empowering women was not the success of one segment of society but the advancement of the entire nation.
The chief minister said Islam provided clear guidance on the rights, dignity and protection of women and urged OIC member states to work together to ensure greater opportunities, inclusion and security for women across the Muslim world.
Highlighting Punjab government initiatives, Maryam Nawaz said women made up more than 60 percent of bene-ficiaries under provincial scholarship and laptop schemes. She said pro-grammes such as Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar, Apni Zameen, Apna Rozgar, the Honhaar Scholarship Program, IT skills training, internships and business financing schemes were helping women achieve economic independence.
She added that the Dhee Rani Pro-gramme was supporting daughters from underprivileged families, while special initiatives had also been intro-duced for women lawyers and women with disabilities.
The chief minister said Clinics on Wheels, field hospitals and the network of Lady Health Workers were expanding healthcare services for women across Punjab. She added that digital literacy and e-commerce initiatives were enabling rural women to participate in the global economy.
On women’s safety, Maryam Nawaz said more than three million women had benefited from the digital services of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. She added that mobile police stations, panic buttons and the Virtual Police Station had strengthened access to se-curity and emergency assistance.
Calling for stronger cooperation among OIC member states, the chief minister said every girl in the Muslim world deserved education, dignity and the freedom to pursue her dreams without fear. She stressed that coordinated efforts through the OIC platform could ensure greater protection and opportunities for women across the Islamic world.
