Ministry of Women Development would open 10 more crisis centers in 2005-06, whereas seven centers are already working and three will be operational within three months. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Women Development, Nilofer Bakhtiar said this while addressing a meeting with the staff of crisis centers, here on Friday. The staff from the crisis centers of Vehari, Quetta, Sahiwal, Islamabad and Karachi participated in the meeting.

In collaboration with the NGO, Rozan, Women Development ministry also organised the training of crisis centers' staff on "How to tackle with victims when they are in distress." Nilofer Bakhtiar said that the ministry would open 10 district resource centers. These centers will serve as offices for women union councillors and for skill development in women.

She said that domestic violence is directly linked with economic empowerment and urged the members of crisis centers that they must create a network for skill development of women in their districts.

The PM adviser said that women development ministry needs more resources to strengthen the performances of crisis centers.

Secretary Women Development, Sohail Safdar on the occasion said that the ministry has no data regarding violence against women to formulate more effective policies to curb it. He said that in the next budget ministry of women development will introduce micro credit schemes for women to distribute loans ranging between Rs 5000 to 50,000.

The women development secretary said that the ministry would allocate Rs 2 million in the next budget to each resource center.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005