Centre
for Rural Economy (CRE) organized seminar on Women’s Role in Rural Development
of Pakistan on Thursday 28th December 2017 at
“P” Block Auditorium, Pak Secretariat Planning Commission in Islamabad. Deputy
Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr. Sartaj Aziz was Chief Guest of this
event. He stated that those women inhabitants of rural Pakistan are
particularly disadvantaged in terms of access to basic social services and
livelihood opportunities. He highlighted that the vision 2025 provides vision
to minimize the discrimination against females, provide enabling environment
and socio-economic opportunities to articulate with the rural transformation.
He further mentioned that the developing non-form rural enterprises, branding
of products, marketing policies, off-farm jobs creation, livestock and poultry
industries, development of SMART cities etc. shall enhance women empowerment by
increasing family income, nutrition and women &child healthcare, which are
integral part of socio-economic sustainable growth. Mr. Sartaj Aziz argued that
there are examples of rural growth and SMART cities in China, Laos, the
Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia. He also highlighted that for the
forthcoming 12th five years plan of Planning Commission enforcing key
components that are related to gender empowerment will be rural transformation,
agriculture development, law enforcement, financial inclusion, gender gap &
mortality, non-recognition of women workforce and nutrition by given equal
opportunities, women could contribute much more in rural development of
Pakistan. He emphasized the development sector and government stakeholders to
develop Human Development Index (HDI) and Gender Development Index for Pakistan
and the CRE will bridge the gap between the Planning Commission and
stakeholders. He also said that indeed rural women are key agents for
sustainable development in the country. They play a catalytic role towards
achievement of transformational economic, environmental and social changes
required for sustainable development. However, the societal discrimination, set
cultural norms, health care and education facilities are among the many
challenges they are facing. Empowering them is essential, not only for the
well-being of individuals, families and rural communities, but also for overall
economic productivity, given women large presence in the agricultural workforce
worldwide.
Mr.
Shoaib Amhad Siddiqui,Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms,
welcome the participants of the seminar and appreciate the Centre for Rural
Economy (CRE) to highlight the different aspects of women’s in rural
development of Pakistan by involving eminent Guest Speakers. He also
appreciated the paramount project “CRE” launched by the Prof. Ahsan Iqbal
(Minister of PD&R) and emphasized the Donors, INGO s and NGOs shall
collaborate with the CRE for further strengthening the Centre for devising the
rural policy mandate. Chief Executive Officer of CRE, Dr. Aamer Irshad introduced
that the Centre was formally inaugurated on 23rd November 2017, having key
mandates of evidence based policy research on different aspects of rural
economy in the country. He said that the rationale of establishing a Centre in
the Planning Commission was thereis the neglected rural economy pouring 20%
economic contribution to national GDP through farm and non-farm economic
activities that should be formalized through CRE. He said that the structure of
the CRE is proposed to be a registered under Company Act after two years and
shall comprise equal board representation from private and public sector. The
sustainability of the Centre depends on the endowment fund that will be created
with coordination of Economic Affair Division (EAD) and Donors. He mentioned
that CRE has already signed MOUs and also had a joint collaboration with ACAIR
(Australia) for conducting transnational rural transformation study in South
Asia (China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan), to analyze the policies and
model along with international advisory.
The
Centre has also started research activities with international organization by
CRE Core Team, Syed Amjad Hussain, Dr. Faisal Anwar Malik, Dr. Qaiser Rafique
Yasser (Group Heads) and Sohail Ajmal Paracha and Mushtaq Ur Rehman (Senior
Research Fellows).
Four
distinguished guest speakers have shared their valuable experiences in this
seminar, on different dimensions of women roles in rural development of
Pakistan. Ms. Shandana Humayun Khan, CEO, National Rural Support Program
Network (NRSPN) highlighted the key issues of rural women and shared the
practical issues of women in rural development. She also pointed out that the
RSPN role in rural development and willing to provide technical support to CRE
by signing a MoU. She recommended government to provide seed funds for
development of women in rural economy. Dr. Saba Gul Khattak (President, Open
Society Foundations) highlighted the issue of women land rights in Pakistan,
Ms. Khawar Mumtaz, Chairperson, National Commission on the Status of Women
(NCSW) addressed polices required for women economic empowerment, raise women
voice for decision making and violence against women. She highlighted that the
NCSW is publishing an annual report on the Status of Women in rural development
2017 in March 2018, which was funded by the Canadian Government. She stated
that some facts & figures about the report the agriculture sector employees
21% of the labor forces out of which half are women, moreover, women labor
force contributes 75% in the off farm activities. The report covers the facts
about labour force activities, off-farm activities, family size, health,
nutrition, skilled labor, taxing wealth, food security, rural literacy, and
women rights. She recommend that the Centre may also focus on gender
discrimination in labor force, gender production & reproduction work,
gender physical & mental health, legal status of women labor in sector like
fisheries, agriculture and nonfarm activities. Ms. Razina Alam Khan, Chairperson,
National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), stated that the NCHD sole
responsibility is to be provided formal and non-formal education to rural
inhabitants and NCHD provide literacy to 3.8 million people and established
6000 literacy centers in the rural areas. She further mentioned that NCHD
facilitated literacy programs for prisoners, established feeder schools,
micro-credit initiatives around the country. In her presentations he conferred
that the role of women in inclusive rural transformation demarcated as a
process in which rising agricultural productivity, increasing marketable
surpluses, expanded off-farm employment opportunities, better access to
services and infrastructure, capacity to influence policy all lead to improved
rural livelihoods and inclusive growth in Pakistan.
Mr.
Shoaib Sultan Khan and Rashid Bajwa also highlighted the key activities of the
RSPN. Program Manager of Australian Center for International Agriculture
Research (ACIAR),Dr. Ejaz Qureshi mentioned their collaboration with CRE on the
rural transformation project and said that the Australian government is
planning to launch a women related program in Pakistan. Ms. Marvi Memon, Chairperson
of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP)discussed their initiated multiple
micro-investment plans, credit facilities for women, community investment
project. She concluded the session by mentioning that the BISP has
focused policies in the role of women in rural transformation may lead to
numerous positive developments in the lives of people and their nations, such
as improvement in life expectancy, improvements in education, health, water and
sanitation, increased rural and urban employment opportunities, and empowerment
of women the disadvantaged group. She emphasized that activities focusing on
mal-nutrition/stunting and wasting programs, e-commerce education among rural
women and social mobilization programs which may had multiplier effect on the
rural transformation. She appreciated Center for Rural Economy (CRE) to this
conduct seminar on this important topic to create awareness about women role in
sustainable development for policy makers and relevant stakeholders.
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