UK to provide £6 million to Pakistan for gender support By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom will provide six million pounds for UNDP’s gender support programme in Pakistan. This fund would be made available through the UK’s Department for International Development. An agreement to this effect was signed by UNDP Country Director Haoliang Xu and Head of DFID Pakistan Dr. Yusaf Samiullah here Friday.The funds will support the government of Pakistan in achieving gender related goals and commitments, with the aim of reducing poverty by enabling women, especially the poor, to participate more equally in economic, public and domestic spheres.
Four million pounds will be utilised to support the ongoing and new Gender Support Programme projects to increase women’s socio-economic status, make government institutions and policies more gender-fair and increase women’s participation and leadership in politics. The remaining two million pounds will be spent on setting up a Gender, Justice and Protection Fund with the specific aim of supporting joint government and civil society efforts to tackle violence against women. Speaking on the occasion, UNDP Country Director Haoliang Xu said violence against women is a high social issue. He said women are deprived of participation in the development process.
He said the fund will improve social and economic condition of women and ensure their participation in decision-making process. DFID Head Dr. Yusaf Samiullah said the status of women in Pakistan is a serious challenge to poverty reduction and the fund is trying to tackle the issue of violence against women. He said the UK and Pakistan have recently signed a ten-year Development Partnership Arrangement, reaffirming their joint commitment to improve the lives of poor people in Pakistan. He said the DFID’s assistance would double from £236 million over the current three years period to £480 million.
Source: The News
Date:12/16/2006
” 
” 
” 
” 
