Under the leadership of Mr. Shehbaz Shareef the honorable Chief Minister Punjab, the women development department has taken a lot of initiatives in Punjab for legal and economic empowerment of women including women entrepreneurship, property ownership, employment, decision making, education and vocational training through Punjab Women Empowerment Package 2012 and Punjab Women Empowerment Initiative 2014.
Many more women development initiatives are in line with the vision of Mr. Shehbaz Shareef, the role of women is important for progress of our country, to achieve prosperity in life and maintain peace in our country is almost impossible feat and unattainable achievements unless we protect and empower women. The Punjab government’s executed initiatives for women empowerment are as under:
Legal Empowerment
- As per amendment in Land Revenue Laws women get facilitated accession of title of property through inheritance
- Punjab Prevention of Violence Against Women Act 2016 has been promulgated
- Punjab Commission on Status of Women Act 2014 has been promulgated and PCSW has been established
- Punjab Prevention of Harassment at Workplace Act 2012 has been promulgated and Office of Ombudsperson has been established
- Domestic Workers Policy has been approved by the Cabinet on Decemeber 17, 2015
- Construction of Family Court Complexes has been started in 10 districts, and land has been identified in 7 more districts
- Out of 709 police stations in the province, female help desks have been established in 680 police stations
Economic Empowerment
Women Entrepreneurship
- 4,80,218 women entrepreneurs were awarded loans amounting to Rs. 2.2 billion by Chief Minister Self Employment Scheme
- Approximately 9000 Canteens in girls schools all over Punjab are owned by women contractors
- 214 female colleges have canteens of which 127 are operated by female contractors and the rest of 87 canteens contract will be awarded to women once the existing contracts end
Property Ownership
- 6000 Heifers and 6000 sheep/goats have been given to rural women
- 11000 plots have been allocated on equal ownership of husbands and wives in Jinnah Abadis
- Applications for provision of 1000 scooties on easy terms will be called on 8th of March 2016
Employment
- Women’s quota in public sector jobs has been increased from 5% to 15%
- Age limit for women job applicants has been increased by 3 years
- Women contractual employees have been allowed one additional transfer option
- Both parents are now entitled to maternity and paternity leave
- Power of sanctioning of maternity leave has been delegated on divisional level officers
- Punjab Day Care Fund Society funded 54 day care centres benefitting 1500 families
- Women Development Department has established 16 working women hostels across Punjab, 5000 women have benefitted from them in last 2 years
Decision Making
- In 2969 trade unions of Punjab, 44517 women are serving as office bearers after amendment in Trade Union Act (Amendment) 2016
- 197 women in 63 board of governors are serving as voting members after enactment of Punjab Fair Representation of Women Act 2014
Education
- PEEF has awarded scholarships to 85000 female students amounting to Rs. 4 billion
- PEF has awarded education vouchers to 100,000 female students
- 57 new female colleges’ construction was started, out of which 51 are completed
Vocational Trainings
- 120,000 women have been trained by PVTC
- More than 12000 women have been trained by TEVTA
- 1000 Domestic and Day Care workers have been trained by WDD
- 14,740 rural women have been trained by Punjab Skill Development Fund (PSDF)
- 3070 rural women have been given veterinary training regarding live stock & poultry
Note: These trainings are being conducted since 2012.