Islamabad, In a significant move to promote education across the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the establishment of the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to high-achieving students, enabling them to pursue their studies without the burden of financial constraints. The announcement came during an event in Islamabad, held in connection with International Women’s Day.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Prime Minister emphasized the critical importance of equipping both male and female students with modern education and skills as a means to propel Pakistan on the path of development. He committed to utilizing all available resources in collaboration with provincial governments to support this initiative.
Highlighting the crucial role of women, who constitute 48.3% of the country’s population, Prime Minister Sharif stressed the need for providing them with ample educational and training opportunities to fully exploit their potential. He remarked on the significant contributions of women in various sectors and outlined additional measures to safeguard their rights and dignity.
In a bid to combat violence against women, a monitoring cell will be established within the Prime Minister’s Office, accompanied by a comprehensive mechanism to ensure women’s dignity and honor. Moreover, the Prime Minister expressed his commitment to supporting the youth with modern education, particularly in information technology and vocational training, reinforcing the government’s dedication to uphold the respect and stature Islam grants to women.
PML-N Leader Shaza Fatima, speaking at the event, outlined several government initiatives aimed at empowering women. These include ensuring at least a 33% representation of women in the public sector, mandatory inclusion of women in all selection committees, and a three-year age relaxation for women in job applications. The government also plans to establish daycare centers in all public offices and address the gender digital divide, with the private sector encouraged to provide boarding and transportation facilities for women under a voucher scheme.
A working women endowment fund, set up with an initial allocation of five hundred million rupees, will support institutions in establishing daycare centers. Proposed amendments aim to extend maternity and paternity leaves in specific cases, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) will assist women in starting their own businesses. Furthermore, educational content on women-sensitive issues will be integrated into the academic curriculum, and a gender mainstreaming parliamentary party will evaluate ministries’ performances in closing the gender parity gap.