PR No.109 Chairperson BISP Visits Oxford University And Briefs On Poverty Management Through BISP London: March 14, 2016

Minister of State and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), MNA Marvi Memon visited the Oxford University today. During the visit she held a meeting with Dr. Woods, Dean of the Blavatanik School of Government and gave a speech on the BISP Programme at the institute.

In the meeting with Dean Dr Woods, the Minister briefedher on the steps taken by the Government to manage poverty through BISP. She said that the programme has not only provided stability to 5.2 million women and their families but has also helped in tackling extremism and terrorism. The minister added that the focus of the present Government was on economic policies with particular emphasis on the poor and the vulnerable women. She also invited collaboration with the School in developing poverty exit strategies for the Government.

The Dean appreciated the work done by BISP in providing support to the poorest of the poor in the society. In her view, poverty management programmes should be complemented by the poverty exit strategies in order to achieve positive impacts on the economy. While welcoming Pakistan’s desire to develop research cooperation with the school, she suggested potential areas of collaboration including Government’s capacity building and parliamentary research. She also briefed on an ongoing project with UK Government to provide high performance leadership training to top 100 UK Civil servants and suggested possibility of similar cooperation with Pakistan.

Minister Marvi Memon also gave a speech to the students and policy researchers at the Blavatanik School on the workings and methodology of the BISP Programme. The speech was followed by Q & A session and a closed group discussion.

The Minister also held a meeting at Oxbridge Club withMs. Victoria Schofield Acting Chairperson of Oxford Union, Dr. Karin Von Hippel Director General Royal United Service Institute, AlixeBuckerfield Del La ROCHE, House of Lords, Ms. Emily Winterbottom Fellow at Royal United Service Institute and Mr. Padraig Belton Chairman Westminister Strategic Studies Group and Trinity College, University of Oxford.

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