Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today appealed women of the State to play their role in promoting peace and prosperity in Jammu & Kashmir.Addressing a huge gathering of women employees here today, the Chief Minister said women have been the worst victims of situational uncertainties and they should play their role to promote peace process in the State. “As mothers, wives, daughters or sisters, women in the State have suffered hugely due to continued violence of past three decades or so”, she said.Mehbooba Mufti said her Government pleaded with the Centre for suspension of security operations in the State which was duly acknowledged and implemented. “I know since then all the mothers here are living in peace and we hope the whole month passes off peacefully”, she said in her address.Terming youth as an asset for the whole society, the Chief Minister said wherever and whenever they were given a chance, they proved their mettle globally. “Their talent and intellect needs not go waste wrongly”, she said while appealing women to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard and put the energies of their wards on the path which can prove beneficial to the State and the society. “Paradise for youth lies in the feet of mother and equally the children brought up to contribute positively are a dream to every parent”, she said.On the occasion, the Chief Minister enumerated several historic initiatives taken by her Government for the empowerment and betterment of womenfolk in the State. She said her Government would continue with the effort to strengthen the position of women in the family, society and the State.
She said she would work on evolving consensus in the Assembly and outside also for giving reservation to women in the elected Houses in the State. This, she said, would solve many of the problems of women in the State.On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced that the ratio of women in Police recruitments would be enhanced so that more ladies are deployed for the safety and security of women. She directed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to undertake an extensive exercise in all the Departments for improving sanitation conditions for women employees in the offices.Mehbooba Mufti also directed immediate constitution of gender sensitization committees in all the offices. She said wherever possible care would taken to post female employees closer to their places of residence and also examine the demand for starting ladies special buses at district headquarters. She said soon a separate ladies section would be set up at the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell to provide round the clock helpline to women in distress.Earlier several speakers from different areas of Kashmir province hailed the Chief Minister for her historic decisions like exemption on stamp duty for women on buying a property, Childcare leave of two years, death penalty for convicts in sexual assault cases, Ladli and Aasra schemes, setting up of women Police Stations, free education to girl students, setting up of women wing at EDI and earmarking 5% for women entrepreneurs, scooty scheme for girl students, Ladies special bus service and other measures.Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development, Asiea Naqash; legislators, Priya Sethi and Anjum Fazili; Secretary, Rural Development, Sheetal Nanda; Secretary, Ladakh Affairs, Reva Gupta; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan; women officers and officials from all the districts of Valley were present on the occasion.