Ahsan stresses girls’ high schools in every UC for empowerment

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th May, 2026) Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday stressed the need for ensuring girls’ high schools in every union council (UC), saying access to education was the first building block of women empowerment and essential for achieving the goals of Uraan Pakistan.

Addressing the National Consultation on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment under Uraan Pakistan, the minister said the government was working with provincial authorities to ensure that every girl had access to a nearby high school so that parents would not hesitate to continue their daughters’ education.

“There are still many union councils that do not have girls’ high schools,” he said, adding that the government wanted to introduce a performance criterion under which every union council should have a girls’ high school to expand educational opportunities for girls.

He said women in Pakistan were increasingly outperforming men in education and professional fields, citing higher success rates of female candidates in civil service examinations and their dominant presence in medical colleges.

“In many sectors, women are proving their capabilities beyond men purely on merit, not because of any quota,” he remarked.

Highlighting the role of women in socio-economic development, Ahsan Iqbal said economically empowered women created a stronger positive impact on families, particularly in children’s education, upbringing and health.

“When a woman is empowered economically, the benefits directly reach the future generation,” he said, adding that women had a greater multiplier effect on family welfare and national development.

The minister said the government was removing barriers to women’s inclusion through improved access to education, credit facilities and legal protection against discrimination and harassment.

He said special emphasis was being placed on expanding higher education opportunities in remote and underserved areas through a network of university campuses established across districts.

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Recalling a visit to a university campus in Pishi district of Balochistan, he narrated the story of a female student who was unable to pursue higher education for three years because her parents were unwilling to send her away from home, but later resumed her studies after a local campus was established.

“These are the tears of joy of a girl whose dream of higher education came alive again,” he said, adding that thousands of talented female students had benefited from district-level campuses.

Ahsan Iqbal said education remained the biggest equalizer in society and the most effective tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and backwardness.

He said women should also have greater access to banking credit and microfinance schemes to support entrepreneurship and economic independence.

In the past, the minister said, his government had allocated 50 percent of microcredit facilities for women to help strengthen their role in supporting families and contributing to the economy.

He said no cultural or religious justification could be used to deny women their rights to education, employment and participation in economic activities.

He also highlighted awareness initiatives launched through the ministry’s gender unit to educate female students about legal protections available against harassment and discrimination.

Calling for practical recommendations to increase women’s participation in the workforce, the minister said Pakistan’s female labour force participation stood at around 22 percent and needed to be doubled rapidly to place the country on the path of sustainable progress.

“Every successful country has more than 50 percent female workforce participation. Unless we move towards that threshold, we cannot effectively compete in the race for development,” he added.