ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Human Rights and women empowerment, Mushaal Hussein Mullick, has said that attaining higher education is not just a quest for knowledge but a gateway to critical, creative thinking, and skills acquisition. She said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the two-day international conference at Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi on Wednesday, adding that education provides individuals, particularly women, with the basic resources to navigate an ever-budding world.
The two-day international conference would bring together distinguished guests, scholars, and policymakers to explore the nexus between higher education and women’s empowerment.
In her address, Mushaal Hussein Mullick highlighted the systematic obstacles women had faced in accessing higher education in the past, adding that despite women managing to achieve a lot however, there are still scores of challenges ahead, including gender bias issues, cultural norms, and economic disparities to check women’s access to higher and quality education.
The Special Advisor informed the audience that the Zainab Alert Response and Recovery Act, 2020, Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2020, The Anti Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021, and The Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace (Amendment) Act, 2022 were some significant legislations enacted by the Government to protect and empower women.
Mushaal further said that education has the luxury to go beyond academic accomplishments to critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills which were essential for effective and impactful leadership. “Women with an education are not merely economic contributors but also act as representatives for driving social transformation”, She said.
Mushaal Mullick on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Sharing her personal commitment to gender equality and women empowerment, Mushaal Hussein Mullick said that she had initiated a 100 days Action Plan to support human rights and women empowerment, adding that the Ministry of Human Rights had started work on a National Gender Policy in consultation with all stakeholders to end violence against women.
Mushaal further said that the Legal Aid and Justice Authority Act, 2020 enacted by the Federal Government, provided legal and financial support to ensure access to justice to vulnerable groups, particularly women, in criminal cases.
She highlighted the need to extend women’s empowerment beyond the classroom to mentorship and supportive networks, adding that the establishment of Provincial Commission on Status of women (PCSW) helplines 1043, KPK Bolo helpline, Sindh Women Development Department Helpline 1094, and Tele Psycho-Social Support Services were decisive in combating Gender Based Violence (GBV).
Describing the deteriorating situation in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Palestine, Mushaal Mullick lamented that Kashmiri and Palestinian women were facing a complex and challenging reality due to the prolonged land disputes in the volatile region.
She said that many women have lost their loved ones, and the militarized environment has exposed them to violence and trauma. Despite these hardships, Kashmiri and Palestinian women exhibited resilience by actively participating in their communities and steadfastly facing the brutality of Indian and Israeli forces. Praising Ahed Tamimi for her courage in the face of adversity, Mushaal Hussein Mullick said that Kashmiri and Palestinian women were the women of substance and a beacon of hope for women around the globe.
