Women empowerment was among the top priorities in Pakistan: Shazia Marri

ISLAMABAD, Nov 10, (SABAH): Ms. Shazia Atta Marri, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has stated that women empowerment was among the top priorities in Pakistan.

She was addressing the Fifth Annual Reykjavík Global Forum Women Leadership in Iceland. The Federal Minister Ms. Shazia Marri is representing Pakistan in Fifth Annual Reykjavík Global Forum Women Leadership along with MNA Ms. Shaista Pervaiz.

Ms. Shazia Marri in her speech, said that she hailed from a flood affected district in Sindh province and highlighted that she herself and five other women Ministers are in the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan, which reflects women empowerment in Pakistan.

The Minister informed the forum that she was coming from a country that was facing unprecedented floods due to historic rains which Pakistan never experienced before that. She highlighted that 33 million people were displaced due to flooding, a population more than total population of many countries around the word.

She underscored that there were around 650 thousand pregnant women among these people who needed maternal services while 4 million children are also suffering from the calamity.

“I am also the Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety” she continued, “I take pride to lead Pakistan’s most successful social protection programme, that is called Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)”.

The Minister informed the forum that BISP covers about 8 million families of Pakistan which are the poorest of the poor, and the Government of Pakistan is providing targeted cash relief to these needy families for a better living.

Ms. Shazia Marri also quoted two other programmes, one pertained to nutrition and other one to the education. “We are trying to incentivize nutrition and education through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)” she concluded.