BISP being the flagship national social safety net of Pakistan not only lends a hand in poverty management through unconditional cash transfer but believes in graduating its beneficiaries out of poverty by investing in human capital development through education. This was stated by Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon while speaking at “International Symposium: the contribution of conditional cash transfer programs to the creation of Social Protection System with rights-based approach” arranged by Ministry of Social Development and National Coordination of PROSPERA Programa de Inclusion Social with the support of World Bank at Mexico City, Mexico, says a press release received here today from Mexico
The conference has representations from Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Uruguay, Egypt and Tanzania. Pakistan is the only South Asian country to be invited in recognition for its success in conditional cash transfer (CCT). Having learnt the CCT process from Latin American countries, Pakistan is now a CCT role model after massive school enrollment.
Whilst in discussion with the World Bank Vice President Mr. Keith Hansen, Ms Memon reiterated the need for a League of social safety nets and discussed World Bank as a coordinating agency for the league especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Mr. Hansen appreciated BISP for its CCT, National Socio Economic Registry (NSER) and its role in reducing malnutrition rates through its stipend. World Bank Vice President apprised Ms Memon of a special event of Finance Ministers at the World Bank Annual meeting in Washington next week on reduction of malnutrition to be attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
In the conference the Chairperson BISP highlighted that through Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT), the CCT program of BISP, children from the age of 5 to 12 years receive Rs. 750 per quarter per child for primary education with the condition of 70% attendance compliance. WeT is a major initiative towards attainment of Sustainable Development Goal of universal primary education as it is mandated to ensure school enrollment of 2 million underprivileged children by December 2017. Under WeT, 1.3 million children have already been enrolled till June 2016.
The Chairperson added that 50,000 BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs) have been established under WeT initiative that engage beneficiaries in interactive sessions resulting in social mobilization. Chairperson apprised the participants that WeT has been initially launched in 32 districts and would be further extended to other districts through strengthening of federal-provincial partnerships.
Ms. Memon reiterated that Waseela–e-Taleem initiative has registered a positive impact on human development. As per impact evaluation reports, school enrollment rates of primary aged children in BISP households supported by WeT program is 81% compared to 60% in households not supported by WeT. WeT supported districts have shown gender balance and better school attendance rates. WeT supported children have shown 87% attendance with only 10% children showing less than 70% attendance. Enrollment rate was recorded as 76% for girls and 86% for boys in WeT supported households. These figures clearly supplement the fact that Waseela-e-Taleem initiative of BISP is contributing a lot towards human capital development and bringing a positive social change.
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