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ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza Saturday said that educated women can render efficient services for progress and prosperity of the country as they remain dedicated for the betterment of the country and people.

“We must not forget that no society has ever liberated itself economically, politically or socially without a sound base of educated women as they remain at heart of any development scheme anywhere in the world.

Addressing the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected College Council of Islamabad Model College for Girls F-6/2, the Speaker congratulated the newly elected College Council and said their efforts have added feathers to its caps and this, itself, indicates their hard work, dedication and a passion to excel.

Dr. Fehmida also appreciate the outgoing Council, which fulfilled its duties to the best of its abilities and is now successfully handing over the reins of responsibility to its successors.

“A well-informed mind is the best security against the corruption of folly and of vice. The vacant mind is ever on the watch for relief, and ready to plunge into error,” she remarked.

“The fact that Pakistan has the worst female adult literacy rate of mere 25 per cent in South Asia, second only to Nepal, itself explains our saga of underdevelopment,” she added.

Today, three fourth of our adult women population can neither read nor write. We have the highest female drop out ratio of 56 per cent in the whole of South Asia even higher than countries like Bhutan, Nepal and the Maldives, she said.

She said that the mean number of years of schooling for girls in Pakistan is the lowest, that is less than 1.2 years and worst, in various areas of Balochistan the gender gap in terms of school enrolment is so wide that for every 21 boys, only one girl gets enrolled for a school.

She regretted that in some parts of the country, there have been unfortunate incidents of forced closure and blaze of girls schools, denying women of their right of education.

“We must not forget that literate mothers raise literate children and so one of the most effective ways to dent illiteracy in society is to educate mothers,” she added.

She said that extremism, violence, religious bigotry and falling moral standards are just because we could not be able to provide education to majority of our women and use them as effective tools for social harmony and national reconstruction.

She said that today, the fact that more and more women are seeking jobs as doctors, engineers, scientists and in other professional and non-conventional fields owes a lot to the heroic struggle of our great leader Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who strived hard for a better working environment for women.

“The present Government’s initiative to introduce legislation against the gender-based harassment at work-place is yet another step in this right direction,” she said.

In my capacity as the Speaker of the National Assembly, I’ve also floated the concept of a “Caucus of Women Parliamentarians”, which is fast taking roots.

“The manner in which the management and the faculty is running this College gives us all the needed hope and strength that women of Pakistan are determined to make a stronger nation,” she remarked.

For this the faculty, as well as the Alumni, deserve our commendation for their hard work and I have every reason to believe that the traditions once set by the founders of this College will be kept high in future as well.

Director General, Federal Directorate of Education Attiq ur Rehman, Principal of the College Rehana Rashid, newly elected president of the College Council Sadaf Mursaleen, former president Arhum Nadeem were also spoke on the occasion.

Later, Attiq ur Rehman and Rehana Rashid presented college insignia to the chief guest. A large number of students and faculty members were also present on the occasion.