Islamabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Senior Minister Atif Khan has called for financial help from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, a news source reported.
The minister stated that the said assistance will make these women financially independent, which in turn will improve Pakistan’s economy. He was attending an ADB-organised seminar titled ‘Liveable Cities for All; Promoting Gender Smart Urban Development in Pakistan’.
Khan stressed that such discussions and project implementations need funds. But political and bureaucratic circles have not shown will and interest in this matter, he added. He proceeded to opine that women are not part of the decision-making process, nor are they financially independent.
The minister stated that other issues will keep coming up if women are not made financially independent. He then proceeded to request ADB for financial support for such women in the tourism sector. He said that this is a sector women can play their role in, especially in Chitral, Hazara, and Swat.
