Kashmala Khan, Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and addressing the business community announced to nominate President ICCI as Business Advisor in his organization to enhance cooperation with the private sector for providing a safer and secure environment to women at workplaces. She said that the better protection of women at workplaces would improve productivity of organizations and bring prosperity to their personal lives. She urged that all organizations should ensure safe workplaces for women to capitalize on their true potential for national productivity. She said that it was mandatory for all public and private sector organizations to form a 3-member Committee to deal with harassment cases and cautioned that non-compliant organizations would face fines.
Kashmala Khan said that the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) has decided 4000. He stressed that women should raise their voice against harassment and should file an online complaint with FOSPAH for speedy justice. She said that the government has passed a commendable law for Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights and if any woman was facing any issue on property rights, she should approach FOSPAH to get justice within 2 months.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) lauded the role of Kashmala Khan, Federal Ombudsman for Protection against Harassment to make the workplaces safer and conducive for women. He said that women were almost half of our total population, but only 25 percent were in the workforce due to which the country could not realize its full economic potential. He stressed that the government should take more policy measures to bring more women into working life so that they could play their role in the economic development of the country. He assured that ICCI would cooperate with the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) for providing safe and comfortable workplaces to women in the private sector in order to improve their confidence and productivity. Mian Akram Farid, Chairman Founder said that the government should focus on skills development and vocational training of women to provide them better opportunities of participation in the economic development of the country.
Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh Senior Vice President, Faheem Khan Vice President ICCI, Zubair Ahmed Malik, Malik Sohail Hussain, Khalid Chaudhry, Shamim Aftab and others also spoke at the occasion and assured that private sector would cooperate with FOSPAH for protection of women’s property rights and providing them safe working environment.