The Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has announced laptops for position-holding students and five buses for Kinnaird College for Women, pledging to expand educational and employment opportunities for women.
Speaking at the college’s 89th convocation, she congratulated graduates, their parents and faculty, describing each girl at the ceremony as “a complete story of success”.
Maryam Nawaz said her government was committed to ensuring that every child could access education, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
She urged women to pursue their ambitions despite societal expectations, saying they often faced greater scrutiny than men when seeking professional success.
“When a boy works hard, people say he wants to get ahead. When a girl works hard, they say she is only concerned about herself,” she said.
The chief minister said women should remain determined and demonstrate their abilities through hard work. She added that balancing professional responsibilities with domestic duties should not discourage women from pursuing careers.
She said providing a conducive and safe environment for women was the government’s responsibility, adding that she had worked over the past three years to make Punjab a more women-friendly province.
She highlighted security measures on public transport, including CCTV cameras and panic buttons on electric buses, designed to enable a prompt response to harassment. She urged female students to report incidents and called on parents to listen to their daughters’ concerns.
The chief minister also pointed to what she described as progress towards equal opportunities for men and women in government schemes. She contrasted an earlier allocation of 70 percent of opportunities to boys and 30 percent to girls with the current policy of equal access.
Maryam Nawaz said 22 universities had been without vice-chancellors when she took office, but appointments had since been made on merit. She said she had personally conducted interviews to ensure that recommendations did not influence the selection process.
The chief minister urged students not to consider themselves inferior to others and encouraged them to use education to improve their prospects. She said challenges were an inevitable part of life and should be faced with courage and perseverance.
Referring to her own experience, she said she had been told that governing Punjab would be difficult because of the province’s size and the challenges of managing the police and bureaucracy. However, she said hard work could enable women to rise to positions such as chief minister, minister, commissioner and deputy commissioner.
The chief minister said the provincial government would continue providing resources to help students become financially independent. She also highlighted plans to facilitate women’s access to electric bikes through easy instalments.
Concluding her address, CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz expressed pride in the achievements of Punjab’s daughters and called on parents to encourage their children to pursue their ambitions without fear. She also led the students in applauding their parents for supporting them through their educational journeys.