ISLAMABAD (by Gulsher Panhwer): Speaking on the occasion of the Women International Day celebration in Islamabad the speakers said that gender biases are deeply rooted in cultures, economies, political and social institutions around the world. Women and girls are facing unacceptable levels of discrimination and abuse, which is not only wrong but also, prevents them from playing a full part in society and development. Efforts are made internationally to deal with this issue.
Women’s Day is being observed across the world with the theme “gender equality today for sustainable tomorrow” this year.
Chairman NCHD while addressing the conference congratulated the organizers and explained the importance of education in remote areas, especially for women. He said NCHD’s Literacy programme is focusing on the rural women we had made more than 4 million adults literate.
A documentary highlighting the importance of education and different educationist expressing their views for the empowerment of rural women is the need of the day.
Honorable chief guest Dr. Nasim Ashraf and Mr. Thomas Seiler Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union delegation appreciated the efforts of TRDP, Momentum, and NCHD for organizing such an event. Dr Nasim said that education is the single equalizer for society. Pakistan lags behind in the HDI just because of the lack of will of the government of Pakistan, we can only achieve political stability if we invest in the education of the nation. NCHD was created to support the line departments and improve HDIs with the support of the government.
Chief Secretary Education said Literacy and Education for All are part of our national and international commitments. However, Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of illiterate population in South Asia and the world. Despite taking some serious measures for the eradication of illiteracy among the masses in Pakistan and Sindh, the female literacy rate in Pakistan and Sindh is very low, especially the rural women are at the bottom.
Chairman PHDF Dr. Nasim Ashraf the founder of NCHD had a great name in the development sector of Pakistan. He had contributed to literacy and women’s empowerment during his chairmanship. The national level programme for literacy was his honor. He said the SUCCESS programme had involved all the stakeholders for this noble cause. He asked PM Pakistan to call for a literacy emergency in the country.
Momentum Ventures in collaboration with NCHD had organized this conference to pay tribute to the hardworking women in remote areas and Women’s journey to self-discovery and empowerment of rural women through skill development Artisanry, Micro Entrepreneurship, Adult Literacy, and Numeracy skills. In 769 adult literacy centers 20,000 illiterate women of Dadu and Jamshoro under the ALNS project, a component of the EU-funded SUCCESS programme had acquired basic education and skills. Highlighting the need for expanding the reach of adult literacy across Pakistan, the event provides a forum for deliberating the future course of giving illiterate adults a second chance at becoming literate and empowered.
Mr. Allah Nawaz Samoo Chief Executive Officer TRDP added that Today there are over 60 Million illiterate people in Pakistan and over 15 million illiterate people in the province of Sindh and the irony of the situation is that most of them are women and young persons. There is an urgent and immediate need to eradicate illiteracy in order to build a more patient, tolerant, and just society.
Mr. Jai Parkash Manager for Success Programme said In rural Pakistan, gender inequality is witnessed in several domains, notably in access to education, decision-making, and participation. Gender Concerns International reports depict that the overall women’s rights in Pakistan have improved with an increasing number of literate women, he informed. Elaborating on the statistics he lamented, Only 46% of girls aged 10 years and older are literate, compared to 69% of boys of the same age. This absence of girls from the academic sphere means that women are once again, absent from the professional realm, as we note that only 15.6% of women are actively engaged in the workforce compared to 49.3% of men.
Mr. Abid Gill Deputy Chief Advisor JICA -Aqal, an official from UNESCO Pakistan, Ms. Ayesha Jamshed Country Director Welthungerhilfe (WHH), Dr. Nasim Ashraf Chairman PHDF and appreciated the efforts of Thradeep and Momentum for highlighting the crucial issue of women’s education and their efforts in education. Mr. Ghulam Shabir’s chief operating officer Momentum thanked the honorable guests, organizers, learners, and the participants for making the event a real success.
