Speakers at a conference on Saturday urged for the need to promote women artisans and recognise the role of working women in the nation’s development.
The two-day conference, “From Food Security to Peace and Security”, was organised as part of a series of activities to celebrate International Day of Rural Women at Lok Virsa.
Apart from the conference, the festivities included 70 female artisans-at-work, featuring female master artisans from across the country with their tools, finished and semi-finished products, as well as a musical performance.
Speaking at the conference, Honorary Ambassador for Empowerment of Women Syeda Fiza Gilani said that rural women of Pakistan are contributing significantly in many fields including arts and handicrafts, through entrepreneurship and services, and the country must recognise them as equal partners in development.
She said most women live in villages, and “contribute towards the development of the country, which cannot be ignored”.
Speaking of recent developments made to empower women, she said that in Sindh the government has launched a land ownership program for landless (hari) women while 10% of the jobs in the province have been reserved for women.
National Commission on the Status of Women’s Chairperson Anis Haroon stressed that the government should mobilise its resources and energies to transform “the dream of empowering women and providing them equal opportunities in all walks of life into a reality”. She called for protection of social and economic rights of rural women and stressed the importance of the participation of rural women in policy-making and decision-making process.
Sameena Qalandar a participant from South Waziristan, said that there is dire need to take practical steps for the rural women from far-flung areas, especially in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. “To this day, women in South Waziristan are not allowed to get education,” she added.
Executive Director Lok Virsa Khalid Javaid expressed hope that positive measures on the part of the government with participation from all stake holders will go a long way towards empowerment of rural women in Pakistan.
Different sessions on how to make rural women count in district and provincial budget, and how to ensure women’s participants in disaster mitigation and peace at district level were held by different speakers.
Stalls were set by various humanitarian organisations working to address the problems of rural women. A folk theatre by “Pattan Natak Rilly” was also presented by William Pervez.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.
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