ISLAMABAD, Sep 4 (APP): Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said the government was committed to providing a secure environment to women at workplaces as it believed in their active participation in national development.
“Soon after coming into power, we established a gender unit so that women can work in the office with a sense of security, and the Ministry of Planning is the safest place for women to work,” he said.
Ahsan Iqbal expressed these views while chairing a committee meeting established by the ministry to address issues related to harassment against women.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary of Planning and all female ministry staff.
He said the aim behind establishing a Gender Unit was to create a workplace environment where women feel secure and confident in their roles and make the ministry a safety model for women. The minister mentioned that a state-of-the-art daycare facility had been established to provide peace of mind to working mothers, allowing them to focus on their work without concerns or worry for their children’s well-being.
He said that no society could progress without the active involvement of 50 percent of its women and his utmost effort was to make the Ministry of Planning a role model for women’s empowerment. He assured that there would be no discrimination against any woman in the ministry.
During the meeting, the female officers and staff of the ministry shared their thoughts and feedback with the federal minister.