Rural women display crafts

12th Annual Rural Women Conference held in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Women from various parts of the country on Tuesday displayed handicrafts and cultural pieces at the sidelines of the three-day 12th Annual Rural Women Conference.

The conference was organised by the Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) in connection with Rural Women Day at Lok Virsa to pay tribute to the rural women of Pakistan. Rural women are the largest segment of Pakistani population who live full time in villages, said PODA President Sameena Nazir.

"We believe that rural women have unique ideas and indigenous solutions to resolve the current challenges facing Pakistan that must be heard by the government and decision-makers to benefit from the wisdom of women,” she said.

Nazir said that this conference was a collective effort of community organisations to amplify the voices of rural women and calling for women's inclusion in the decision-making process at all levels.

Pushpa Kumari, a participant from Tharkparkar, Sindh said "PODA conference is a unique gathering of rural women in Pakistan," adding that people not only see the beautiful crafts here at cultural stalls but also can buy.

Nasreen Awan from Sahiwal said that this conference is a strong platform to empower women and to contribute to the dialogue for the development of the country.

A participant from Balochistan, Shahida Irshad said: "This conference helps all cultures to interact and show the diversity of the country."  

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2019.