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Govt to provide relief to

women, children in jails: Zobaida

ISLAMABAD: Government is determined to provide judicial redress and relief to women and children in jails, said Federal Minister of Education and Women Development, Ms. Zobaida Jalal.

She was presiding over a meeting held here on Sunday to review the progress on decisions of December 27,1999 meeting and discuss plans for National Women Convention and the Human Dignity and Human Rights National Convention to be held on March 8 and March 31, 2000 respectively.

Dr. Attiya Inayatullah, Member, National Security Council (NSC) Younus Khan Mandokhel, Secretary Ministry of Women Development and Jalil Abbas, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Women Development were also present in the meeting.

The meeting agreed to expedite action on setting up of separate women jails in each province and frequent jail visits and inspections to monitor conditions of under-trial women and children and ensure quick disposal of cases.

The meeting also discussed action regarding setting up of permanent commission on status of women, ombudsman for women issues and implementation of commission enquiry reports.

The poverty alleviation economic package for women was also reviewed in the meeting with emphasis on the need to allocate 50 percent of micro-credit facilities for women/adolescent girls and increase in government expenditure on women development projects.

National convention of women is being held in Islamabad on March 8, 2000 where the Chief Executive of Pakistan is expected to be the chief guest on the occasion.

The convention will be followed by open public cultural and educational events to highlight issues of women and children rights in a recreational manner.

The Minister and Member NSC also emphasised the need of co-ordination with NGOs and educational cultural institutions to organise the convention with its global theme of 'women waging peace.'

A meeting to finalise the arrangements in this respect will be held in the Ministry of Women Development on February 23.ÑAPP