Learn-6 (Story from Women Watch and Pakistan relevence)

Empowering Women – Learn 6 (Story from Women Watch)

I am happy to be part of Women Watch now. I have taken one story “ Rural women key to economic growth, says UN official” for my learn Mission 7. I like this story because I also support the concept and practically engaged in empowering the women specially rural women through different cash transfer and women skills development programmes.

First of all, the salient points covered in the story are as under;

· Women role in economy is crucial and more significant in agriculture.

· Rural women utilize their maximum time in producing food and cooking it for the kids and family.

· Rural women being part of every household chore with important contribution is being exploited and been ignored in the policies and programmes.

· Women have been prioritized nowadays in development inititiatives across the world due to the international collaboration on gender and development.

Keeping in view important role of development of women as child, girl and mother, Government of Pakistan is taking lots of steps to empower the women specially those who are poor and vulnerable. More recently, Government of Pakistan has initiated a mega safety net/social transfer targeted to 3.5 million ever married women. The selected poor women are receiving Pak Rs.1000/- per month as a minimum income to maintain basic sustenance. Secondly Ministry of Social Welfare and Women Development have started few programmes which are providing technical and vocation training/skills to the women along with transportation charges for attending this centre. At the end of the courses they are given initial amount to start their own business, supporting women entrepreneurship. Besides this Non Governmental Organizations in Pakistan are providing micro credit to women for the small businesses leading to the women empowerment.