PBM to uplift the life standards of less-privileged girls and women Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )

On the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day a ceremony took place here in Islamabad to distribute the certificates and gifts among the participants of computer training workshop for the trainers of Women powerment Centers (WECs) of Pakistan Bait-ul- Mal (PBM).

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar graced the occasion as a chief guest in the presence of State Minister for IT Anusha Rahman MD Pakistan Bait-ul- Mal Barrister Abid Waheed Sheikh, Country General Manager Microsoft Nadeem Ahmed Malik and CEO Universal Service Fund Farooq Sattar. In this training workshop in collaboration with Ministry of IT, USF and Microsoft around hundred computer trainers of WECs of PBM were rationalized with the Information and Communication Technologies.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar while addressing the ceremony said that connecting women through the use of technology can yield incredible returns in social and economic development. He applauded the concrete steps taken by PBM to uplift the life standards of less-privileged girls and women of the country. Admiring the pro-poor initiatives of the organization he ensured MD PBM for every possible support by the government for social uplift.

State Minister for Information Technology Anusha Rahman reaffirmed the Government’s commitment for taking proactive tasks towards empowering the women. Underlining the importance of ICTs, she appreciated the trainers of PBM Women Empowerment Centers for making them equipped with the modern tools and techniques.

Managing Director of PBM Barrister Abid Waheed Sheikh on this occasion expressed that through this training workshop the computer trainers had strongly improved their abilities to gain knowledge via ICTs. MD PBM told that various steps have been taken for the renovation and up-gradation of these 157 empowerment centers during last three years. Modern computer labs have been established in 50 of these centers & remaining are in the process with the support of Ministry of IT. He said that this program intends to empower women through Information and

Communication Technologies.

The initiative exerted considerable efforts to enhance ICT technical capabilities of women, develop their entrepreneurial capabilities in order to promote their social and economic empowerment. While expressing his gratitude to Ministry of Information Technology, USF and Microsoft Barrister Abid Waheed underlined the significance of realizing collective responsibility in finding out the key solution for comprehensive development, poverty eradication and the empowerment of disadvantaged groups.