Sir: No society can achieve success without giving rights to the women, socio-economic development and dream of prosperity can materialize only through women empowerment. This has been quite rightly and forcefully stated by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in his message on the International Women’s Day observed throughout Pakistan as elsewhere all over the world on Thursday. According to the reports in the newspapers, the chief minister has said that the ruling party has taken historical steps for women protection, given them due respect and honour in the society; the provincial government has adopted an effective strategy to bring the women into the national mainstream. He genuinely and proudly listed the various initiatives launched by his government for women by saying that effective legislation has been undertaken to eradicate violence against women, a state of the art centre has been established in historic city of Multan for providing prompt legal assistance to the women in need, such centre are also being set up in other districts of the province, women have been given 33 per cent representation in Boards of Directors and other committees of the public sector bodies and women quota has also been increased from five per cent to 15 percent in government jobs as there can be no uplift sans women. It is also good that a number of seminars and discussion programmes were organised by public and private sectors forums highlighting the women problems and issues and what the provincial government has done already and what more needs to be done for women’s socio-economic uplift and protection against violence and torture at work places and in homes. Though International Women’s Day is observed religiously on March 8 every year but such days should be observed more frequently and regularly to highlight women’s problems and issues and give them their due status in the society and necessary steps should also be taken to change the mindset of men by and large, please. Thanks. MEEM ZAY RIFAT Lahore Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2018.