Today, at the One Day Provincial Public Policy Dialogue with Parliamentarians organized by HomeNet Pakistan, Mr. Iqbal Ahmed Detho, Chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), delivered a powerful speech on the importance of the Women's Development Department (WDD). He emphasized that women's development is critical to the success of every department.
Mr. Detho highlighted that the SHRC is the only provincial-level commission, playing a vital role in reviewing cases, laws, and policies. He proudly announced the drafting of the Sindh Child Marriages Rules 2024, a significant step towards protecting children's rights.
Additionally, he underscored the pivotal role of the WDD in raising awareness and mentioned key legislations such as the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act, 2019, and the Home-Based Workers Act. However, he pointed out a major challenge: the lack of coordination mechanisms among departments.
Mr. Detho called for the establishment of inter-departmental coordination committees to ensure seamless collaboration. He also expressed concerns over the lack of engagement by standing committees in monitoring departments, highlighting issues of overloaded departments and insufficient capacity. He stressed the need to address the absence of officers and facilities in the WDD and other departments.