BISP is extending its cash transfer programme to 5.2 million woman beneficiaries as poverty reduction through women empowerment is the prime objective of the organization in pursuance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was state by Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon while addressing the 6th Bosphorus Summit in Istanbul. The summit was hosted by International Cooperation Platform (ICP) on the theme of “Twin Goals: Eradicating Poverty and Growing Prosperity”.
Chairperson BISP, on the occasion, said that the comprehensive conceptual framework of BISP, supported by the state of the art technology and international best practices makes it the most transparent and credible social safety system not only in the country but in the world as well. Considering the transparency and efficacy of the Programme, multilateral financial institutions and international donors like World Bank, Asian Development Bank, USAID and DFID are providing both technical and financial support to BISP.
In Istanbul, Chairperson BISP also participated in a meeting on “Ending Violence against Woman” organized by UN Women, Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Policies and UNFPA. The objectives of the meeting were to review the progress made since Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), sharing knowledge and practices in preventing violence against women and generating political commitment from governments towards ending violence against women in the light of SDGs.
While speaking on the event, Chairperson BISP said that violence against women is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace and it denies basic human rights and freedoms to women. Government of Pakistan is committed to this cause and BISP is the manifestation of this commitment. BISP aims to give social and financial empowerment to its beneficiaries. Since BISP Beneficiary is a woman, she gains financial authority through cash transfer and improved decision making power in the family. This also results in increased financial literacy. As national identity card is a pre-requisite to become a beneficiary, BISP has given recognition to women and has provided opportunity to be part of the political process of the country. All of these initiatives are very instrumental in preventing violence against women.
Yesterday in London School of Economics (LSE), London, Chairperson BISP participated in a conference on “Tackling Extreme Poverty: Evidence from the Field” hosted by International Growth Center (IGC) and BRAC. This conference served to discuss and evaluate graduation approaches, looking at both short and long term effects of this type of policy intervention. Chairperson BISP chaired a session titled “The Effect of Cash versus Assets”. While speaking on the event, she gave a comparison of assets versus cash transfers in social protection schemes. She also said that BISP is working for the welfare of its beneficiaries through cash transfer programme and other initiatives. Besides providing financial assistance, BISP is developing graduation strategies and adopting innovative technological solutions in collaboration with other organizations. These initiatives focus on assisting beneficiaries in education, health and other fields of life so that ultimately they may come out the vicious circle of poverty.
In London, Chairperson BISP also called on Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi in House of Lords. During the meeting, role of BISP in the welfare of marginalized segment of Pakistani society and women empowerment at global level were discussed.
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