KHAR, Sept 20: Speakers at a seminar on Friday called for protecting women’s rights in the tribal areas, saying women empowerment is vital for the progress and prosperity of the region.

Fata Secretariat’s Special Support Project organised the seminar, the first ever in the tribal areas on women’s rights, at Government Girls’ College here in collaboration with United State Agency for International Development (USAID).A large number of female students and teachers from various educational institutions, women activists, senior officials of the local administration and SSP participated in the seminar.

The speakers highlighted issues related to women’s rights with regard to participation in the progress of tribal areas and said women empowerment was essential for the development and prosperity of the tribal areas.

They said recognition of the women’s rights according to Islam and giving them respect were the need of the hour.

The speakers said women made over 51 per cent of the population and the tribal areas couldn’t progress without involving them in social life and bringing them into mainstream.

They expressed concern over the increased violence against women in the tribal areas and urged the administration, civil society and political and religious parties to take serious notice of the issue and create public awareness of violence against women.

The speakers said the growing incidence of violence against women was a matter of concern for the women of the entire tribal areas and the government should make serious efforts to protect the rights of women and girls in Fata.

They expressed concern over lack of female education facilities in the tribal areas and criticised the government and the tribal lawmakers for doing nothing for the promotion of female education in Fata.

The speakers asked the government to take serious steps for the improvement of women’s education in the tribal areas and establish the new girls’ schools and colleges in all over the tribal areas.

They also urged the government and the local administration to make functional the female vocational centres and should set up more centres across the agency.

Meanwhile, Bajaur Agency Additional Political Agent Imran Hameed Sheikh on Thursday said the local administration was taking all possible measures for the people’s welfare in the militancy-hit areas.

He was speaking at a ceremony organised to inaugurate the ‘Rural Livelihood and Community Infrastructure Project (RLCIP)’ under the Multi-Donor Trust Funds held at Billot area of Mamond tehsil.

The additional political agent said the administration was aware of the local residents’ problems caused by militancy and military operation, which had badly affected the natural resources, basic facilities and infrastructure.

“We are striving to ensure early provision of basic facilities to the people, while a number of schemes of rehabilitation have been initiated in the region,” he said.