LAHORE
\n The US Consul General to Lahore Kristin Hawkins has said that women empowerment has been the nucleus of her efforts at the Consulate and women participation is encouraged through exchange programs, educational scholarships and internship programs.
\n\u201cI believe Pakistani girls and women are capable of achieving the impossible through equal opportunities,\u201d she said during an interview with APP in connection with the Women\u2019s History Month here on Saturday.
\nKristin Hawkins said the U.S. Mission shares the belief that gender equity is essential to economic growth and development, democracy, and political stability in all societies.
\n About the Women\u2019s History Month, Kristin Hawkins said the month of March, besides observing International Women\u2019s Day on March 8, was commemorated throughout the United States and other countries to celebrate the strengths, resilience and accomplishments of the women across all sectors ranging from business, academia, sports and others.
\n To a question she said her efforts towards empowerment of women are not limited to Women\u2019s History Month only as the women-centred initiatives occupy the whole calendar, adding that it is not only about celebrating women but making them independent, vocal, self-sufficient and leader.
\nCharismatic Kristin Hawkins, passionate about women empowerment and cultural preservation in Punjab, said \u201cduring the past 20 years, the US Mission Pakistan has funded 35 cultural preservation projects worth $8.4 million through the AFCP,\u201d adding costing approximately one million dollars, 20 out of these projects are in Punjab and scores of young women have been involved in these projects to revive and restore the past galore of architectural wonders side by side their male counterparts.
\nShe said a US funded internship program in conservation techniques for local youth to acquire marketable skills has provided opportunity to girls at the Lahore Fort and Wazir Khan Mosque, adding the program is intended to make the youth more resourceful.
\n \u201cFulbright Scholarship, International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), Student Exchange Programs and multiple High school scholarships are different opportunities offered to the young girls to make their mark,\u201d the diplomat said.
\nMeena Arham, a conservation scientist and team lead at the Wazir Khan Mosque Restoration Project, told APP that she has been part of the Agha Khan Cultural Services in Pakistan (AKCSP) in Pakistan since 2014, adding that she feels empowered that she feels empowered to work on the restoration of a centuries-old architectural heritage site like the Wazir Khan Mosque.
\nZeina Naseer, a Conservation Scientist at AKCSP, has been heading conservation and restoration of the 1600 feet long historic Picture Wall and Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) at the Lahore Fort. She takes pride in the fact that their work will be a beacon for generations to come, adding the US-funded internship program will usher in a bright future for the young professionals.
\n In her message to Pakistani girls and women, in connection with the Women\u2019s History Month, the Consul General Hawkins said, \u201cjust keep it up. You can achieve great things whether you want to be a professor, doctor, engineer, lawyer, politician or go into business. Look to connect with others in your community and set high goals in life.\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAHORE The US Consul General to Lahore Kristin Hawkins has said that women empowerment has been the nucleus of her efforts at the Consulate and women participation is encouraged through exchange programs, educational scholarships and internship programs. \u201cI believe Pakistani girls and women are capable of achieving the impossible through equal opportunities,\u201d she said during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":397445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-397423","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n