Planning department launches UNDP-assisted GBG project

Karachi: Provincial Planning and Development Department organised a 4-day gender sensitive planning skills training under Gender Based Governance Systems (GBG), a project of UNDP and Government of Pakistan at Pakistan Institute of Management (PIM), Karachi.

Government sources here on Wednesday said the officers of grade 17 and 18, from different provincial and district government departments including Finance, Planning, Education, Health, Works & Services and Community Development, attended the training.

Rehana G. Ali Memon, Special Secretary (Tech) and Provincial Project Director from P&D Department represented Additional Chief Secretary, Development at the inauguration ceremony and delivered the keynote address. She highlighted the purpose of the training and briefly reviewed current initiatives being taken by the government on gender issues.

She thanked UNDP, Federal and Provincial GBG Units and PIM for providing all support and arranging this training programme. She said the project is in line with the national and international commitments made by the government on gender equality through formulation of policies and programs aiming to reduce gender disparity.

Mussarat Jabeen, Deputy Director represented the Secretary, Women Development Department and informed about policy guidelines and initiatives taken by the government on gender equality. Abdul Fattah Tunio, Provincial Project Manager, GBG introduced the project and highlighted the overall aim and objectives of the project. He gave quick update on last years achievements and current years targets and said overall objective of the project is to promote womens access to economic, political and social empowerment at the national, provincial and district levels.

He informed that the project has been planned to train elected representatives including 30 women parliamentarians, 2500 Nazims, Naib Nazims, 5170 current women councillors, 3000 potential women leaders and 1500 government functionaries during 5 years period of project implementation.