LAHORE: The Local Government Women Councillors` Caucus was launched here on Thursday with an aim to play a role in advocacy for gender sensitive development at the local level, mainstreaming gender sensitive policies and services and highlighting women issues within the local government structures in Lahore and Nankana Sahib districts.

The forum was organised by the Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) in collaboration with the USAID and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

WISE Executive Director Bushra Khaliq said under the project 650 women councillors were given capacity-building training in the functioning of LG system, their role/ responsibilities as councillors as well as women rights. Out of these 650 women, she said, a 30-member caucus was evolved after ensuring just representation of various categories and tiers.

Punjab Population Welfare Minister Begum Zakia Shah Nawaz termed the caucus a big step towards women progress in local politics and hoped that the forum would be at the forefront in addressing injustice to women and gender imbalances at the grass-roots level.-Staff Reporter