Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) proposed amendments.

Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) proposed amendments by increasing the number of women seats on reserve seats of minorities, workers/peasants, youth,traders and disabled without making any change in the total of seats. Bushra Khaliq, Executive Director WISE, demanded the government of Punjab to amend Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 ina convention arranged by WISE held at a local hotel. She said to achieve gender equality and Empower allwomen and girls of Social Development Goals (SDGs) women be given 50 percentseats on reserve seats. She said peasants/workers andyouth could be women too. But in our patriarchal society, men are considered orattributed as peasants/workers and youth. It is observed that women are good peasantsand workers. Talking to people in theconvention she further said the government must ensure at least 33 percent women representationin the structure/tiers and Local government institutes to achieve SDGs 2030 as Pakistanis a signatory. On the occasion, she also laudedthe Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 and suggested political parties andelectoral groups be made bound to allocate fiver percent tickets in Metropolitan,district Council, Neighbour Council /Village Council in line with the ElectionAct 2017. Bushra Khaliq said that womencould play their role of leadership in a very effective manner and demanded fromthe state to provide them equal opportunities at all levels of decision makingin political ,economic and public life. She also lamented that over theperiod , women's representation has been on the decline ,which is very alarming. She encouraged the women to takepart in the coming election. Farmers' women Councilors/Nazims etc hailing fromseven districts including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Rajan Pur sharedtheir problems and showed resolution to take part in the coming election with zealand fervor to get their rights. Qazi Moin-ud-Din addressed the occasion,and assured the participants that their suggestions and proposed amendmentswould be presented to concerned officials. He also said that Punjab LocalGovernment Ordinance 2021 is very pro-women. Women must...