20000329

Active participation

of women at all

levels must: Zubaida

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Education and Women Development, Zubaida Jalal, on Tuesday stressed for active participation of women in all spheres of life to ensure their contribution in the country's development and prosperity.

"I have a firm conviction that without the active participation of women, who constitute half of our population, Pakistan cannot stand at par with the widening technologies of the developed countries."

While speaking at the 15th and 16th convocation and prize distribution ceremony of FG Margala College for Women, F-7/4, said, she has already proposed to reserve on third seats for women in all government institutions.

She said the government was committed to safeguard the rights of women at all levels of society.

In this regard she particularly mentioned the setting up of a permanent commission on the status of women, announced by the Chief Executive on the occasion of the International Women Day.

While comprising the Western culture with Islamic values in terms of gender equality she said, "it is an irony, that even in the 21st century, gender equality is a controversial issue for the developed West, adding, but Islam has resolved this anomaly in unambiguous words."

Zubaida said, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) exalting womanhood on the highest pedestal, paid a befitting tribute saying, "paradise lies under the feet of a mother."

She also recalled the sayings of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah that "no nation can make any progress without the cooperation of its women."

In Sura "Alaq" God Almighty has ordained "Iqra" meaning "read." Thus acquisition of knowledge is obligatory on all men and women without distinction or discrimination, she added.

The minister, however, said, the spark of knowledge must not remain confined and dormant, adding, it must illiminate and enlighten the less advantageous, the under-privileged and the down-trodden sanctions of the society.

She further said, it had become imperative and obligatory on you after conferment of degrees to participate actively in the never-ceasing task of nation building by eliminating ignorance and ingrained biases against women's empowerment.

Zubaida said, educational institutions are in fact nurseries and real education is the cultivation of mind, body and soul.

She stressed for effective education, saying, "purposeful education denotes the acquisition and application of knowledge, development of the human personality and cognizance of moral values."

She appreciated the performance of FG Margala College for Women in imparting quality education to girls.

The minister felicitated the graduates of science and humanities on whom degrees were conferred and also the prize winners for attaining excellence in areas of academics and co-curricular activities.ÑAPP