STAFF REPORTER
PESHAWAR : Access to information can play a vital role in empowering women to demand transparency, fairness and accountability from public institutions, while also helping them secure their rightful share in government programmes and public resources.
This was stated by Syed Saadat Jehan, Deputy Director Communication, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission (KPIC), while addressing a capacity-building workshop on the Right to Information (RTI) and women’s empowerment.
The workshop, titled “Strengthening Women’s Voices: Rights, Accountability, and Participation in Decision-Making,” was jointly organized by Transparency International-Pakistan and Safar Welfare Organization at Government Girls Degree College, Jamrud, district Khyber.
Students, faculty members, representatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women and members of civil society organizations participated in the workshop.
Speaking on the significance of the RTI law, Syed Saadat Jehan said women could use their right to information to obtain authentic and timely information about government schemes, development programmes and public services. Such access, he added, could enable them to determine whether public resources were being distributed fairly and whether women were receiving equal opportunities.
He said access to official records could also help women understand government policies, monitor the delivery of public services and question public bodies when transparency and accountability were lacking.
Addressing the students, Mr Jehan said the RTI law was equally important in the education sector. Students could seek information regarding scholarships, admissions, selection criteria and other educational opportunities to ensure that decisions were made transparently and on merit.
He urged women and students to become more aware of their legal right to information and use it responsibly to promote transparency, merit and accountability in public institutions.
The workshop concluded with a call for greater awareness of citizens’ right to information, particularly among young women, so that they could participate more effectively in decision-making and contribute to a more transparent and accountable system of governance.
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