Efforts of women in rural Sindh highlighted

ISLAMABAD:  The efforts made by women in rural areas to get out of the grips of poverty were discussed at a seminar held under the three-day Heritage Festival is Islamabad.

While speaking at the seminar titled 'Women Empowerment: The Road to Success' an artisan, Hajra, from Arbab Mir Baher Community Organisation, said the formation of a community organisation on the neighbourhood level has helped women earn much more than they previously used to. She added women in her community have been given training and access to markets which has helped them become economically independent.  

The chief guest of the event, European Union Ambassador Jean-François Cautain, said they have heard women in rural Sindh speak about their achievement by taking progress in their own hands. "I have seen women in Sindh fight for their rights," a press release quoted him as saying. "If you want a sustainable world [then] men and women have to work together towards progress." 

Also present on the occasion, Rural Support Programmes Network Chairperson Shoaib Sultan Khan shared his 60-year-long experience of working for the development of rural communities. He emphasised the importance of people coming together to solve their own problems and fight poverty. He stressed human beings have an innate potential that needs to be unleashed to create awareness, enhance capabilities, increase incomes, and enable empowerment.

Since money attracts money, Shoaib Sultan added, saving are extremely important if you want to improve your situation. "We work under the belief that even the poorest of people have the potential to come out of poverty," he said. "Our role is to just help them unleash this potential."  

An award-winning journalist, Rina Saeed Khan, said women can ensure food security as they are the ones who grow it. "Pakistan can secure its future by including women in the labour force and by promoting small-scale food production enterprises.

While highlighting the importance of laws, Aurat Foundation Legislative Watchgroup Manager Professor Farkhanda Aurangzeb said spreading awareness on laws is as necessary as creating them. Even bureaucrats and lawmakers are not aware of the laws formatted for women's rights.   

The chairperson of Commission on the Status of women, Neelam Toru, said the age-old concept of women being lesser than men has changed and now there is space for women to start working as much as men do.  The festival was organised by Sakafat, an organisation working for the promotion of culture and heritage.

The festival was organised by Sakafat, an organisation working for the promotion of culture and heritage.