Councillors welcome proposed forest royalty share for women

Chair by Assistant Commissioner Chitral Sajid Nawaz, the meeting was also attended by District Nazim Maghfirat Shah,  District Officer Finance and Planning of Community Driven Local Development (CDLD) Hayat Shah and Assistant Director Local Government and Rural Development Department Eng Faheem Jalal. The women councilors termed the new move to give female members of royalty holding families a share in the royalty a milestone saying it would help empower women financially and reduce their dependence on others. The meeting was called to brief women, mostly councilors, about the Community Driven Local Development (CDLD) funds and the share of women. The women were also sensitized regarding awareness of bio-degradable shopping bags. They were asked to play their role in discouraging usage of plastic bags and to use bio-degradable bags which are environmental friendly. Public issues and social injustices were also discussed during the meeting. Regarding discrimination in developmental funds by the district government, the nazim denied it and assured the meeting that the funds would be distributed among members equally. Most of the lady councilors complained of non-release of funds to them for developmental schemes. They also complained about unavailability of separate offices where women of their entire constituency came and discuss their issues. Some councilors also said a number of women who married out of Chitral were pushed back and were left helpless by their husbands and in-laws. Hussool Begum, a councilor from Booni, said a large number of girls committed suicide after they were deprived of their basic rights. She said despite protests she was not being given her genuine rights and always ignored in distribution of funds.]]>