Women farmers are unsung heroes, says SBKWU VC

Dr Ruksana Jabeen says they harvest while carrying children on their backs

QUETTA: Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University (SBKWU) Vice Chancellor Dr Ruksana Jabeen has said that women carrying children on their backs while harvesting and reaping in the fields are the unsung heroes of our society as they play a crucial role in agricultural development of the country.

“This is the time to stand and raise voice for their [women’s] educational and socioeconomic uplift,” the vice chancellor said in a message on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Thursday.



Dr Jabeen said, “Our vision is to educate girls in far-flung areas of Balochistan and the varsity has opened campuses in different districts of the province.”

She said that there was no competition between men and women as both played a major role in society. “Women have been marching, writing and speaking up alone for way too long,” she said.

To a question, she said, “Establishment of SBKWU – the only women university in the province – is itself a success story. It has enabled women to gain higher education at MS and PhD levels now. It has developed a sense of trust in educational institutions in a society where people think girls can only cook and clean houses.”



The VC said, “The university has also opened departments of law, pharmacy, and arts and design so that women in Balochistan are not left behind in any profession. The faculty of arts and design includes fashion designing, interior designing and textile industry, which will enable women to take part in projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This will economically uplift women in Balochistan.”

She said that women in the province were playing a vital role in the field of scientific research as in just two years the university had 300 research papers published in international journals.

Dr Jabeen said that the university had also established an incubation centre interlinked with ORIC, to industrialise research on modern technical level for economic rise of women working in the field of research in the province.



She said that there was a dire need to establish standard primary and secondary schools in rural areas of the province in order to increase female literacy rate.

The VC said that the federal government and the Higher Education Commission had made tremendous efforts for advancement of higher education in Balochistan by establishing technical and engineering universities in different districts.

Similarly, the provincial government should take potential steps for female education at primary and secondary school level.

The VC said that she had joined the university in 2013 when there were only 1,500 female students and now the strength was at 9,000.



She said that the varsity built new infrastructure, standard scientific laboratories, academic library, girls’ hostel, administrative block, gymnasium as well as a day care centre with support of the federal government and the HEC.

“SBKWU is the first institution in Balochistan which sensed need of daycare centre to facilitate women working and studying in the university.”

In her special message on International Women's Day, Dr Jabeen said, "Life is hard but we have to live it. Being women, we do face unpleasant circumstances in professional and family life as well, but never lose hope, be brave and fight for your rights and become pride of your families."