"It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation." – Herman Melville

RIGHT INITIATIVE FOR GENDER-BASED EQUALITY
By signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) recently claimed to have made a big step towards addressing gender-based violence. The MoU places a strong emphasis on integrating and mainstreaming women with disabilities into their initiatives. To create a plan to address violence against women, NCSW collaborated with STEP and other organisations like the United Nations Population Fund. NCSW should provide housing for the children of these women in safe places in addition to helping the mothers escape life-threatening conditions. Numerous attempts of this nature have been made in the past, but with little success. Various organisations have been accused by some of misusing funding and resources and managing them poorly. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the pertinent government departments to oversee the proper use of resources and the advancement of new projects. In order to further empower women and give them more control over their decisions, it is also important to improve their access to healthcare and education through targeted efforts. Investments in the health and education of women can have a greater impact and benefit society as a whole. Therefore, broad and multifaceted measures to support and emancipate women should be done.
Shahnaz Abid,
Islamabad

Gas Crisis in Karachi
Karachi, Pakistan's financial hub, is currently receiving only two hours of gas supply each day due to the country's catastrophic energy crisis. The semi-state-owned natural gas company issued a tight gas timetable for domestic consumers. Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) declared in a statement that gas will be delivered to domestic consumers during morning, afternoon and evening meal hours. The announcement comes after months of unannounced gas load shedding in the city, which has irritated and angered domestic customers. Although Winters are gone still the gas supply hasn’t been restored properly. For the past several weeks, practically every neighbourhood in the city has had very low pressure or no supply of gas during peak hours, with the gas utility provider unable to respond appropriately. Customers in some places have complained about just receiving two hours of gas supply during the day. There have also been reports of low gas pressure in numerous regions, preventing consumers from cooking proper meals. People in many places have begun to rely on LPG gas cylinders, which is burning a hole in their pockets. The authorities involved should investigate the situation as soon as possible and restore regular gas supplies to the affected area. There are numerous solutions that are being considered. Among all of these options, one of the most ecological and feasible is to use solar solutions. In this aspect, technology and solar power solutions can be extremely advantageous. It will benefit not only residential consumers, but also commercial users.
Rabia Jawaid,
Karachi