SCF launches new initiative to empower women labourers

Two-year programme concentrates on 1050 women from 30 villages in District Matiari

KARACHI:

The Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) has launched a literacy and off-season poverty reduction programme targeting women cotton workers, aiming to address their challenging working and socio-economic conditions.

The initiative, supported by the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, seeks to enhance the lives of women workers who play a vital role in the textile industry.

SCF Executive Director, Javed Hussain emphasised the economic empowerment of women through literacy.

The two-year programme is concentrated on 1050 women from 30 villages in District Matiari.

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In its inaugural year, 15 Suhaee Centres, which means "Light" in Sindhi, have been established with each accommodating 30 to 35 learners. Approximately 525 women are expected to acquire basic literacy through a six-month informal education module.

This literacy initiative aligns with the broader objectives of the SCF to promote the labour rights of women workers, addressing concerns related to decent work, climate change, and economic empowerment.

Recognising the seasonal nature of cotton picking lasting four to six months, predominantly performed by women, the programme tackles poverty during the offseason. It incorporates in- come generation training and seed support for small-scale income-generating activities, focusing on enhancing existing vocational skills with market-driven approaches.

Training areas encompass diverse skills, such as milk production and home-based agro-food security solutions. Hussain underscored the positive impact of the intervention, projecting a 50 per cent increase in incomes for women cotton workers through improved literacy, numeracy, and wage negotiation skills.