KARACHI: The education rate of girls and women in Pakistan is very low compared to other developing countries which is a matter of concern. There are many reasons behind this slackness which are negative social attitudes, lack of educational facilities to girls, poverty and cultural barriers based on outdated and stereotyped ideas etc. We all need to make a joint effort to educate the daughters of our nation.
These views were expressed by Ms Sadia Rashid, President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, during his presidential address in the session of Hamdard Naunehal Assembly, Karachi titled “Pakistan’s Daughters Future of Pakistan” held at Baitul-Hikma Auditorium Madinat-ul-Hikma today.
Ms Sadia said that February 11 is celebrated as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science globally. On this day, by encouraging the participation of women and girls in science and technology, the United Nations has to send a message to the world that equal opportunities should be provided to girls to advance and develop them, and there should be no gender discrimination.
She said: “Our country is now on the journey of development. In such a situation, keeping half of the country’s population, ie women, away from the fields of science and technology means stopping its overall development. There is a need to encourage girls at all levels to access modern sciences. The media has a great responsibility to play its role in shaping public opinion on this important topic, she added.
Chief guest Prof Dr Yasmin Farooqui said that Shaheed Hakeem Muhammad Saeed had established this great institution Hamdard Pakistan with the sincerity and passion of serving the nation. We have to act and serve our country Pakistan.
The life of Shaheed Pakistan Hakeem Muhammad Saeed is a beacon for all of us, from which we learn the importance and promotion of service and education. The simultaneous teaching of Eastern and Western sciences in Jamia Hamdard and Baytul Hikma Library established by Shaheed Hakeem Muhammad Saeed is a great achievement.
She said that education is the best in which the element of training is clear. Every person who is associated with teaching is not an educationist, this honor is the specialty of those great personalities, who provide thought to the society for education and establish an educational institution. You must follow the teachings of your great forefathers and progress well.
Minor Speakers Leader of the House Ayesha Fawad (Hamdard Public School), Leader of Opposition Syed Muhammad Shuja (Hamdard Public School), Sara Jamal (Hamdard Public School), Laiba Mehrullah (Hamdard Village School), Maryam Ansar (Quaid-e-Azam School and College) and Qareena Awan said that solving all the problems faced by girls in acquiring knowledge is the responsibility of the government of the time to highlight the importance of women’s education among the people.
They said that today, if we want to purify our society from darkness and wrong customs and practices, then it is necessary that we pay attention to the education of men and women, besides educating girls side by side with boys in all kinds of science and education deciplines.
They said: “We should also expose them to the arts, be it religious or worldly and professional or non-professional, so that they too can advance in the field of all kinds of sciences and arts and prove themselves to be useful and useful to our society like boys.”
In the meeting, students of different schools presented tableaus according to their topics. The meeting ended with the prayer for Shaheed Hakeem Muhammad Saeed which were offered by the students of Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School.