Sherry orders inquiry into NCSW neglect

Islamabad: “Why did 107 positions remain vacant in the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW)? What justifies this lackadaisical attitude in getting multiple positions filled within a Commission that works towards empowering women and mainstreaming their issues?” probed PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman while chairing Sub-Committee III of the Public Accounts Committee to review audit paras (2014-2015) for the Law and Justice Division.

The Secretary NCSW explained that the preparation of rules and their approval, which took five years, caused 107 positions to remain vacant, adding that once the rules were approved, 46 vacancies were filled. On this, the Senator inquired, “How could the rules could not be formulated for five years, is this Commission not on anyone’s agenda? If it was taking so long to finalise the rules, why wasn’t anyone informed? That is quite odd”.

She said, “We worked diligently to make this Commission autonomous. It is regrettable that such an important institution is facing such challenges and being made redundant in a country where women constitute half of the population. Chairperson NCSW, Khawar Mumtaz, who championed women’s rights and led the women’s movement from the front, tried to turn everyone’s attention to the understaffing and lack of facilities within the Commission. She complained of being provided no back-up. Today it is being revealed that this was because no one cared to fill over a hundred vacancies which were brought about through government grants and foreign aid, within this organization”.

“The root of the problem lies within the Ministries which try to block funds just because new funds are not flowing in for them. This raises some serious questions on the functioning of our ministries and the channeling and utilisation of funds or aid as this seems to be every ministry’s problem. These institutions were formed to bring the country into the 21st century, to voice the concerns of citizens and protect their rights. They cannot be reduced to decaying and neglected entities over the leg-pulling that goes on within ministries,” she warned.

“An institution being autonomous is no justification for funds not being allocated for it. I have ordered an inquiry report to be presented within two weeks on this,” Rehman concluded.