Date: 07, March 2007

 

 

Executive Director Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR)Ms. Kashmala Tariq MNA has been elected as  Vice president of Commonwealth women parliamentary association(CWP).

 

No society of the world can claim of gender equality and absolute empowerment in all spheres of society and culture without active participation of women .Executive Director PCHR Ms Kashmala Tariq said while addressing an international conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) on the issue of Balancing Political Participation & moving towards Gender Equality in relation to Mid year meeting of Commonwealth women Parliamentarians (CWP) Steering committee. Conference was held in South Africa from 26^th February, 2007 to 1^st March, 2007 and a large number of women parliamentarians from different commonwealth countries attended the conference.

 

Conference was followed by a special steering committee meeting of Common wealth women Parliamentarians Association (CWP) to discus the agenda of forthcoming Annual Commonwealth conference in September, 2007 in India, and to elect the vice chairperson of CWP.The agenda of next Annual conference will be to discuss and debate ways to fight HIV/AIDS and Poverty Alleviation.

 

Ms.Kasmala Tariq was elected as vice Chairperson of Commonwealth women Parliamentary Association (CWP) .She was serving as representative of South Asia in CWP Steering committee and hence representing BanglaDesh, SriLanka, Nepal, Maldives and Pakistan in CWP .She has been regarded as one of the most prominent female legislators of Pakistan. Delegates from member countries highly appreciated her commitment, determination, dedicated services and active role for the cause of human rights in general and women rights in particular. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association consists of the national, provincial, state and territorial Parliaments and Legislatures of the 52 member countries of the Commonwealth. These 52 member countries belong from 9 regions. The Regions are: Africa; Asia; Australia; British Islands and Mediterranean; Canada; Caribbean,Americas and Atlantic; India; Pacific, and South East Asia.

 

 Ms. Kashmala Tariq will represent Asia Region in Commonwealth . Association’s mission is to promote knowledge and understanding about parliamentary democracy and respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms irrespective of gender, race, religion or culture.

 

At the meeting, she said that as the process of change and reforms is generally very slow and diverse everywhere, we need to refuel our collective efforts to bring gender balance in all spheres of life. She said, it is undeniable fact that gender inequalities assume different forms in different cultural set-up. It is unfortunate to say that region of South Asia particularly Pakistan and India have worst form of gender inequalities due to many socio-economic and political phenomena. Pakistan is committed to realizing the full potential of all its citizens, for development with equity, without which development can neither be balanced nor sustainable. Since women are generally more disadvantaged than men, it is but natural for Pakistan to attempt for achieving gender balance at all levels in the society.

 

She emphasized on the need to do more for political and socio economic empowerment of women. She welcomed the Commonwealth for setting of new target of achieving 50% representation in political bodies. Previously this target was 30% .Many Commonwealth countries particularly some African countries succeeded in having 30% representation of women .however in Pakistan, at the moment only 22% representation is for women, therefore there is still a long way to go.

 

She stressed and demanded urgent attention of policy makers, parliamentarian and civil society representatives to create and maintain gender balance on sustainable basis... She said that it is imperative to understand the condition of women in a society and their capacity for action, their status should be understood both within the domain of the family and within the larger cultural and sociopolitical context.

 

 

PCHR Media Cell