PESHAWAR: The participants at a meeting stressed that women need to realise their role as leaders in the society and contribute to the peace-building process in a positive manner.
“In our society a woman finds it hard to be accepted in a leadership role in any profession, even if she is allowed by her family to fulfil her objectives, the society never accepts women in a good perspective,” Misbah Bakhsh, a well-known psychologist, expressed these views during the meeting held on Sunday.
Earlier a day-long session on women leadership and peace-building skills was also organised by the Peace Education And Development (PEAD) foundation for women from diverse religious backgrounds working in various professions. Around 50 women participated in the session discussing different aspects of a good leader and their roles in the overall development of a society.
While talking to media persons, Misbah Bakhsh said that in a male dominated society the females were not encouraged to excel in the professions they wished to pursue.
A representative of a civil society, Christina Advocate, said that for any individual to become a leader in any aspect of his/her life requires having trust and belief of the individuals around him/her.
She added that there was a difference between a manager & a leader, a manager directs things while a leader has a vision and belief as well as the support of his people.
A female teacher from Edwards College School, Naila Nazir, pinpointed the role of women in the development of a community by saying that they had a significant role in overall development of a society.
She (A woman) has to serve in various roles throughout her life e.g. mother, daughter, wife and sister etc. Being an important component of the society, women had an effective role in addressing day to day issues including household issues to community level activities. She urged for ensuring the maximum participation of women in policy and decision making processes.
PEAD Project Coordinator, Faisal Jalil, said that their foundation had taken several initiatives in order to empower the women of the region. “The capacity building sessions for women are specifically designed to give the females an opportunity to enhance their skills and play an effective part in the various professions they are working,” he maintained.