Minister for Information and Archives and Labour Saeed Ghani on Saturday said Sindh government has approved Provincial Women Agriculture Act 2019 to empower rural women.
Addressing post cabinet me
eting press conference this evening, he said
the Act encompasses all those affiliated with cultivation, fisheries, poultry, and husbandry. “These women would be considered as agriculture workers,” he said mentioning that they would also be permitted to seek help from the endowment fund of Benazir Income Support Program.
Saeed Ghani said that the cabinet me
eting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also discussed the formation of Benazir Women Support Organization.
Citing the cabinet decision to be historic he said the Sindh Chief Minister on the very onset of the me
eting said Sindh Women Agriculture Act was in accordance with the vision of Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto. This was said to be also in accordance to basic philosophy of PPP founding leaders who believed in emancipation of masses and empowerment of all marginalized sections, with women on top of the list.
Ghani says Women Agriculture Act, 2019, encompasses all those affiliated with cultivation, fisheries, poultry and husbandry
Mentioning that
the Act was passed to provide social security to the women workers, the Sindh Information Minister said the Chief Minis
ter was of the view
that although role of women workers was not being recognized appropriately but the fact of the mat
ter was that the rural women were central to agro-based economy.
Saeed Ghani said that this Act would certainly bring a positive change in the lives of the women of rural areas. The minister said
the Act would be presented before the provincial assembly within a week of this cabinet meeting. “After the passage of this act the rights of the women associated with agriculture and related sectors would be guarded,” he said.
Saeed Ghani further mentioned that to simplify the process of purchasing essential medicines for the health facilities in the province the cabinet in its me
eting formed a committee comprising Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Excise & Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Minister for Agriculture Department Muhammad Ismail Rahu, Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Climate Change, Coastal Development, Environment and Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab.
He said
that all the medicines available with the health department would be provided immediately to the health facilities across the province.
The minister said that the cabinet also decided to confer the charge of the executive director of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre to a grade 20 medical officer.
He said
that according to a decision taken by the cabinet the management board of the teaching hospital would function under vice chancellor of the concerned medical university.
Saeed Ghani said that from now onwards the vice chancellor would preside over the me
eting of the board of the teaching hospitals.
Each of these eleven member board would besides looking after the day to day affairs shall also monitor policy plan and work for
the improvement of services in the hospitals, he added.