A thought-provoking seminar was held at University of the Punjab to mark International Women’s Day under the theme of “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”.
The seminar was jointly organized by the Population Welfare Department Punjab, Department of Gender Studies, University of the Punjab and Marie Stopes Society.
The event featured a lineup of esteemed guest speakers, including Salman Abid, renowned journalist. Salman Abid, Moulana Hafiz Muhammad Hamid, Religious Leader, Mazhar Iqbal, District Population Welfare Officer, Lahore, Aamir Yousaf, Regional Manager, Marie Stopes Society and Professor. Dr. Ra’ana Malik, Chairperson, Department of Gender Studies.
Each speaker offered unique perspectives on gender equality, women’s reproductive health rights, women’s empowerment, and the challenges that women are facing worldwide. From grassroots advocacy to policy reform, the speakers inspired and enlightened attendees as they celebrated the achievements of women and explored avenues for continued progress towards gender parity.
Addressing to the youth, speakers said that several laws about women’s rights existed in the country, but they needed to be fully implemented. It was emphasized that every segment of the society including ulema, scholars, teachers and civil society should play their due role for a peaceful, prosperous and civilized society.
A thought-provoking skit was performed by the students of the Department of Gender Studies highlighting the importance of women’s education & condemning gender-based violence.
The seminar concluded with a significant milestone as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Marie Stopes Society and Department of Gender Studies, University of the Punjab to practice mutual coordination and collaboration for supporting and mobilizing demand and increasing uptake of FP services for addressing unmet need for Family Planning through advocacy and mobilization campaigns and publications.
Marie Stopes Society is a Pakistani not-for-profit organization, that is committed to improving family health outcomes for the last 30 years, by implementing family and client centred interventions. It does this by ensuring the provision of high quality, affordable and easily accessible services across the country.
