Women bureaucrats allegedly being denied due promotions: report

A senior woman bureaucrat has tendered her resignation in protest against female officers being denied due promotions in a move that has shocked many civil servants, The News has reported.

Shazia Rizvi, a BS-20 officer, had been serving in the Ministry of Maritime Affairs when she abruptly sought premature retirement in a written request forwarded to the Secretary, Establishment Division.

However, the Secretary, Establishment Division, Dr Ijaz Munir, when contacted to respond to these allegations, said: "Shazia Rizvi was not promoted because of a pending NAB reference against her. She is being posted to Karachi as per her request."

Meanwhile, an investigation revealed that women civil servants have received significantly less promotions at work than their male colleagues in the past five years. 

Women were two-thirds less likely to get promoted in the last five years as compared to male officers in different cadres, ministries, departments and divisions, according to official records and background interviews.

“Women in government offices are facing discrimination — the majority of women representing different departments and cadres have been denied due rights linked to promotion, key postings, etc. Shazia Rizvi is a prime example of it,” a senior bureaucrat told this correspondent on Sunday. 

“Ms Rizvi topped the Civil Superior Service exam in 1991 and her retirement was due in 2029. She, as a woman, was facing many issues created by her male colleagues. Her early retirement is a shocking move which has alarm bells ringing in the civil service,” the source revealed.

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Some 67 women officers in the Capital Development and Administration Division (CDAD), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), Establishment/Cabinet Division, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and 14 federal ministries and divisions were declared 'unfit for promotion' for reasons better known to their departments. 

Yet, the official record of these women officers shows they have had excellent career profiles and performance. 

Our investigation further revealed that there are many departments where women officers qualify for top positions but junior male officers continue to occupy their rightful posts.

The case of CDAD Deputy Director-General Shabana Saleem (now at the National Ministry of Health) seems to be an example of this discrimination. 

The officer, who got her education from the University of London, has been working in grade 19 since 2007 in the ministries of Population Welfare and Health, but her case was never sent to the Central Selection Board (CSB) even though she has been eligible for promotion to BS-20 since 2010 and has had an excellent career. 

She plans to knock on the doors of a court after not being not at other forums. 

“Secretary Health regretted Mrs Saleem’s application seeking the sending of her file for a meeting of the CSB scheduled on 29th January, 2020 without giving any reason,” revealed a senior officer. 

Her department never responded to our queries.

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Similarly, Saira Imdad Ali, a competent women officer at the Ministry of Industries, seems to be facing similar discrimination. Her appeal against sexual harassment at the workplace by a senior diplomat, who, despite facing serious sexual harassment charges, got promotion to BS-22, is also being taken up this week by Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women Kashmala Tariq this week, a source said.

It is worth mentioning here that, in all, around nine women officers in the federal ministries, NAB, Nadra, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Industries have filed sexual harassment appeals either with their own departments or with the federal ombudsperson.

In yet another case, NAB has withheld the promotion of Subana Rafiq, BS-17, who raised her voice against discrimination within the bureau. 

“[Subana’s promotion was withheld] for a period of three years with effect from March 7, 2020, including the withholding of annual increment for a period of three years with immediate effect,” a NAB employee revealed, quoting from a notification issued by NAB Deputy Director Muhammad Shoaib. 

Another senior lady officer of the Secretariat Group allegedly went on long leave because she was planning to quit her service due to gender discrimination she was facing from top management. 

“I’m disappointed with this attitude. I do not see many more promotion opportunities by 2025 as many groups have few open slots for BS-22 and BS-21,” she told this correspondent on the condition of anonymity.

There are many other women officers who are similarly struggling to get their promotions sorted out. 

"There is no [systematic] discrimination on a gender basis. Officers, both male and female, are not promoted for [various] reasons. I can only respond on a case-to-case basis," Secretary, Establishment Division, Dr Ijaz Munir said.

Originally published in The News