Press Release by PODA
For Immediate Release: Contact: Hira Imam Rizvi
Phone: 051-2650554
Mobile: 0333-5822277/0321-5919369
PODA Welcomes Appointment of First-ever Woman Deputy Speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Wednesday 23rd December 2015 (Islamabad): Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA) welcomes the historical victory of Prof. Mehar Taj Roghani as the first ever female Deputy Speaker of Khyber PakhtunKhwa Assembly. Ms. Sameena Nazir, Executive Director, (ED) for PODA congratulated Prof. Roghani and said, ‘This is most certainly a historical development. She is the first-ever Pakhtoon woman to take position at such high echelon of power but her selection has opened the way for many to follow.” Ms. Sameena Nazir congratulated the people of the entire province who are at the threshold of exploring new avenues for growth and expansion in the presence of Prof. Roghani by her knowledge and experience.
Hailing from Shawal Dher, Mardan, an established Pediatrician doctor, she was elected as a Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) of KPK on a reserved seat for women in the General Election 2013 on Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf, PTI’s ticket. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly has 124 elected members, 99 regular seats, 22 seats reserved for women and 3 seats for Non-Muslims. She was an adviser to the Chief Minister KP, Mr. Pervaiz Khattak before taking oath as the first female Deputy speaker of provincial assembly. Prof. Roghani won the election of Deputy Speaker by bagging 77 votes from a total of 118.
In an address after being sworn in, Prof. Roghani said that she would ensure Gender Equality in the house. “Country owes debt to girls and women for their resilience” said Mehar Taj Roghani. This statement is a ray of hope for the women living in the province who are subjected to patriarchal norms. This is also in line with the struggle of PODA as an organization for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.
PODA is a women’s rights NGO working for the promotion and protection of human rights in rural areas of Pakistan since 2003. PODA’s vision is a democratic society based on education and gender equality for everyone. PODA’s mission is to facilitate the empowerment of marginalized rural communities, children, women and youth through formal and non-formal education, legal empowerment and human rights advocacy to build a locally democratic and globally peaceful society.