women's empowerment and role of southern punjab poverty alleviation project, pakistan

IFAD ASSISTED- SOUTHERN PUNJAB POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROJECT (SPPAP), BAHAWALPUR

Seminar Report (Women Empowerment & Role of SPPAP)

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SEMINAR REPORT TITLED

“WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT & ROLE OF SPPAP”

Organized By

IFAD ASSISTED-

SOUTHERN PUNJAB POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROJECT

(SPPAP)

At

BAHAWALPUR

09 December, 2015



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CONTENTS:

ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................ 3

1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 4

2. CONTEXT: .................................................................................................................................. 6

3. IFAD ASSISTED-SPPAP DOCUMENTARY: .................................................................. 12

4. SPPAP-SUCCESS STORIES OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: ................................... 13

5. VOTE OF THANKS: ............................................................................................................... 14

6. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: .................................................................... 14



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ACRONYMS

BDO Business Development Officer

CO Community Organization

DMU District Management Unit

ETO Entrepreneurship Training Organization

GOPb Government of the Punjab

IFAD International Funds for Agriculture Development

IRM Institute of Rural Management

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

M&E Monitoring & Evaluation

NRSP National Rural Support Program

NPSC National Poverty Score Card

PD Project Director

PBUH Peace Be Upon Him

PMU Project Management Unit

SPPAP Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project

USAID United States Agency for International Development.

VTO Vocational Training Organization



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1. INTRODUCTION

"We need women at all levels, including

the top, to change the dynamic, reshape

the conversation, to make sure women's

voices are heard and heeded, not

overlooked and ignored." —Sheryl

Sandberg

Several of the United Nations

Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs) deal with the situation of

women. The target of Goal 3 is the

elimination of gender disparity. Goal 4

seeks to reduce child mortality, and

Goal 5 aims to improve the health of

mothers. But the empowerment of

women and the strengthening of their

position in society is the aim of the

other MDGs as well.

Women play a crucial role in

the fight against extreme poverty and

hunger (MDG 1). Girls and women lag

far behind boys and men in progress

toward achieving universal basic

education (MDG 2). No progress at all

can be made in the fight against

HIV/Aids, malaria, and other endemic

diseases (MDG 6), unless women are

included. And without the

participation of women, it will be

impossible to ensure environmental

sustainability (MDG 7).

Women normally have to work

harder than men in the countries of

Asia especially in Pakistan. They

maintain traditional vegetable

gardens, raise domestic animals, and

do the farming. They are responsible

for child rearing, feeding their families,

doing the domestic chores, collecting

the fire wood, and fetching the water

etc. They supervise the education of

their children and nurse them back to

health when they get sick. They

guarantee domestic stability, taking

on any work they can get to secure

the family income, more often than

not in the informal sector and without

the benefit of social security.

But despite the important role

they play for family and society, in all

essential areas of life women are

generally at a significant

disadvantage as compared with men,

whether in terms of education,

income, partner choice, inheritance

laws, property rights, decision-making

processes, community organization, or

access to leadership positions in

education, business, or politics.

Since the creation of Pakistan in

1947 Pakistan inherited the menace of

poverty. The burden of this poverty

was put heavily on the female

population which is 50% of the total

population of Pakistan. ON the top of

it, women were neglected and under-

nourished.



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In the southern Punjab most of

the population lived in village areas

where women folk are facing

miserable conditions. Feudal system,

weak law implementation and lack of

awareness in male dominated society

are the major reasons of that which

creates big differentiation between

men and women and most women

spend their lives in their homes and

courtyards and go outside only for

male approved reasons. Due to these

conditions their social life remained in

a specific circle created by men. This is

why the men decide what is good

and evil for women and if a woman is

being tortured it is not considered a

big offence. People think that it is a

right of man to handle their women

and in this way, women of southern

Punjab are least empowered.

IFAD Assisted-Southern Punjab

Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) has

been designed stunningly by the

Government of Punjab in financial

assistance of International Fund for

Agriculture Development (IFAD) for the

poverty reduction, gender

discrimination and to empower the

poor women in four poorest districts of

southern Punjab (Bahawalpur,

Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh &

Rajanpur). Poverty decline of

margilized segment (Poor Women) of

the society is the prime objective of

the project. Tangible actions have

been taken for women empowerment

by the project.

With a view to ensure effective

convergence mechanism of key

partners (IRM & NRSP) those were

involved in transformation and

inspiration overall development and

empowerment of women, a seminar

on Women’s Empowerment and Role of

SPPAP with a theme “Translating

women participation in the socio

economic development and poverty

alleviation” was organized by the

Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation

Project (SPPAP) in collaboration with

Implementation partners on

09.12.2015. As women empowerment

is one of the prime aim of Government

of the Punjab and IFAD. This seminar

intended to provide a platform for the

beneficiaries of the project to share

their experiences on women

empowerment after innervations of

SPPAP. Altogether, there were 80

participants attended the seminar

which included Women Beneficiaries,

females from civil society, Project

Management Unit-SPPAP team,

females of IRM/VTO & ETO.

The speakers came from

different organizations/social/women



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development/NGO/community level

backgrounds and presented the

audience with different practical

experiences, insights, and views on

women empowerment. It gave a

good impression and understanding of

the many perspectives that could and

should be taken into account when

defining and implementing women

empowerment policies/projects. The

feedback of the participants

confirmed that the seminar was very

much appreciated as well as that

there was a pressing need for more

practical approaches and for other

opportunities to discuss the many

issues faced by women in the way of

empowerment (Economic & Social).

2. CONTEXT:

The Seminar was

hosted by the Ms.

Sammar Qureshi,

Gender Focal Person,

Institute of Rural

Management (IRM),

Bahawalpur who

conducted the

seminar in a first-rate

way. Formal segment

of the seminar began

with the recitation from

the Holy Quran followed

by the recitation of a Naat Shrif.

The seminar was opened by the Project Coordinator/VTO-SPPAP who gave a

tremendous outline to the seminar. He welcomed all the participants on behalf of

SPPAP and cherished the healthy participation of women from poor communities of

SPPAP. He said that they were here to appreciate the women who are working hard

in the rural areas for developmental activities. SPPAP had especially focused the

women by providing them valuable assets/trainings in a way so that women of the

poor communities could feel sense of ownership and fully empowered. He



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emphasized that “Women are the integral part of the society and development is

impossible without women empowerment and participation in the overall process”.

Mr. Imran Nazir, Gender and Poverty Specialist, SPPAP publicized in his speech

that Women Empowerment refers to increasing and improving the social, economic,

political and legal strength

of the women to ensure

equal-right to women,

and to make them

confident enough to

claim their rights. He

stressed that Women

empowerment is the

key to strengthen their

participation in the

decision-making which

is the most important

key to socio-economic

development.

But,

unfortunately we are

dying to contribute those rights to the women which is an enormous barrier in the

way of healthy, prosperous and developed society. Being a Muslim, we have a

strong belief on Islam which is a complete code of life. Islam is such a religion in

which women respect is so important that it can be proved from the saying of

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that “PARADISE LIES UNDER MOTHER FEET”. Women

respect is necessary from every aspect and they should be given equal rights

whether it’s Pakistani society or western. For women empowerment, we should

contribute our share in raising the standard of living of rural women, built schools for

them so that they all get education, vocational training should be established which

can groom the inner abilities and provide the opportunities of earning to women of

rural areas. Education and skills are the basic keys of women empowerment. The

Speaker stressed on participants to bring change from their door steps to resolve the

issues of women empowerment. We all should inspect whether we are providing



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equal rights to both the genders in our family and if do so subsequently we could be

able to bring change in the society. For poverty alleviation and development, it is

necessary that our women are fully empowered. He highlighted the Government of

the Punjab 31 initiatives package launched for women empowerment. He also

underlined IFAD vision and efforts done for gender equality and women

empowerment.

Ms. Navida Sadiq, M&E Specialist, IRM-SPPAP tinted the role of IRM for women

empowerment. She said that IRM was striving to empower the women from poor

communities by organizing,

creating awareness and by

providing vocational and

entrepreneurship trainings

with the financial

assistance of SPPAP. She

called for jam-packed

women participation for

reduction of poverty levels

in the society.

Ms. Samreen, Business Development Officer (BDO), IRM-SPPAP regaled the

participants by sang a poem in significance with the role of women in the

development of a society and women empowerment. She decorated the working

women issues in a beautiful way with virtuous lyrics



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Ms Mah Rukh, Field Manager, Livestock & Dairy Development Project, USAID,

Bahawalpur acknowledged the efforts of IFAD, Government of the Punjab, SPPAP

and its Implementing Partners for gender equality and women empowerment in the

backward districts of Southern Punjab. In her address, she highlighted that today

women are working in

every field and

women can adopt

every profession. A

women may be a

pilot, doctor, engineer

or whichever she

want to do. But our

rural society and

cultural norms are the

hurdles in the way of

women development.

There is dire need to break the stereotypes and need to change the mind set for

suitable women empowerment. She appreciated the efforts of poor women efforts

(beneficiaries of SPPAP) done for self-economic empowerment after getting

vocational trainings from SPPAP. The speaker stressed for equal opportunities of

education both for man and women for women empowerment.



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Ms. Humara Yasmin, President Waseeb

Organization highlighted the issues

regarding women empowerment.

She said that women are the half

of our country but they have

least access to education,

health, employment,

inheritance rights etc.

Regrettably, our society has

discriminative thinking for male and

female which is the major reason for

non- development of our country. She

claimed that women cannot get their rights until they realized their rights. She told

the audience that rapid pace of economic development has increased the

demand for educated female labor force almost in all fields. Women can earn as

much as the man do, women employment nonetheless adds substantially to family

and

gives family an economic advantage over the family. Our rural communities would

have to comprehend the significant character of women in the way of

development.



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The Chair, Mr. Muhammad Saghir, Project Director, SPPAP, expressed that it

was a great honor for him to be the part of instant seminar as a Chief Guest and

open his speech with the narration of Quaid-e-Azam (Founder of Pakistan), ““No

nation can rise to

the height of glory

unless your women

are side by side with

you; we are victims

of evil customs. It is

crime against

humanity that our

women are shut up

within the four walls

of house as

prisoners.” He

referred the Holy

Qur'an in the first

verse of the

chapter entitled "Women", Allah says:

"O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul

and from it its mate and from them both have spread abroad a multitude of men and

women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in whom you claim (your rights) of one another,

and towards the wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a Watcher over you." (An-Nisa

4:1).

The Chair expressed that a state or a country is like a bird and man and

women are two wings of the bird and no bird can fly on one wing. But tactlessly,

from the centuries, societies of the world are trying to fly on one wing which is

incredible. Women are almost 50% of the population and how is it possible to make

development by ignoring half portion of the population. Women empowerment is

an important goal of development process. He spoke about the importance of

women in a society and said that women are the significant pillar of the society and

life is totally partial without women. He elaborated that Government of the Punjab

with the financial assistance of International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)



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has launched the Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) in the four

most deprived districts of Punjab i.e. Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh and

Rajanpur. As per vision of Govt. of the Punjab and IFAD, gender equality and

women empowerment is the prime objective of SPPAP where most of the

interventions were designed only for women to make them economically, socially

empower i.e. provision of small ruminants, small land plots, low cost housing while

some interventions have 50% fix quota i.e. vocational and entrepreneur trainings,

Para vets trainings and some interventions had open quota for women. He told the

house that women are absolutely independent in decision making process and

SPPAP is emphasizing on gender mainstreaming. To tackle the women

empowerment issues, SPPAP has provided Small Ruminants (Two Goat Package) to

25113 poor women having NPSC (0-18), 1141 Small Land Plots to the landless poor

women having NPSC (0-11) and now the project has started the Low Cost Housing

Component for 1300 poor women having NPSC (0-11) in four project districts. These

interventions of SPPAP have been evidenced as a hallmark for poor women. Social

weaknesses of poor women are the major cause of domestic violence. The results

showed that by the interventions of SPPAP, poor women have become not only

economically empower but also become socially empower.

At the end, the Chair emphasized that Women too need to empower

themselves by being strong from heart and think from mind.

3. IFAD ASSISTED-SPPAP DOCUMENTARY:

A documentary on SPPAP interventions and project approach was shown to

the participants of seminar on large screen. The SPPAP documentary translated the

Government of the Punjab and IFAD vision for Poverty Alleviation, gender equality

and women empowerment into filmic form in front of all the participants. The

audience exceedingly valued the project documentary wherein project

interventions, progress, targeting approach and future plans for poverty reductions,

gender equality and women empowerment were unequivocally emphasized.



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4. SPPAP-SUCCESS STORIES OF WOMEN

EMPOWERMENT:

MS Nazia Bibi (Beneficiary of

Vocational Trainings of SPPAP) told the

participants of seminar that she was a

handicapped living with her old parents.

They were hand to mouth and spent a

miserable life. She was engaged with her

cousin but after her disability, her finance

refused to accept her. She was very

affectionate of dress designing, but her

disability was the main hurdle. Through SPPAP-IRM she got the training of “ADDA

WORK” (Hand Embroidery). During the training period she was provided over all

material and after the training, her linkage was developed with the local market

through Business Development Officer. In this way, she started to earn adequately.

She felt economically empower if she compare her present to her past. She thanked

to IFAD, Government of Punjab and SPPAP team to provide her an opportunity of

self-sustainability.

Ms. Fouzia (Beneficiary of Vocational Trainings of SPPAP) briefed the

audience that she was living in rural backward area of Bahawalpur with limited

access to vocational training institutes. She was entirely reliant on her husband even

for daily routine overheads.

Through SPPAP vocational

trainings program, she could

able to get training of

beautician and started her own

beauty parlor at village level. By

the grace of God, Continuous

efforts and regular guidance



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from SPPAP team, she could able to get rid of from vicious cycle of poverty and had

the opportunity to become empower.

5. VOTE OF THANKS:

Mr. George Chughtai, Project Coordinator ETO-SPPAP offered the vote of

thanks on behalf of SPPAP to all the participants. He special thanked to the Project

Director-SPPAP for being present at the Seminar. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to

Ms. Mahrukh and Ms. Humaira Yasmeen for their presence and highlighting the

importance of women empowerment. He also expressed his gratitude to the other

Speakers especially women from poor communities who addressed very expressively

and meaningfully.

6. CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS:

At the end of Seminar, the participants were agreed that such type of

seminars may be conducted in the SPPAP project area on regular intervals. The

participants self-confessed that through the seminar, they could be able to know

that what is real women empowerment and IFAD as well as Government of the

Punjab vision regarding gender equality and women empowerment. All the

participants affirmed that they would play the role of catalyst for awareness raising

among the poor communities regarding women empowerment and their role in

development process. They promised to bring change from their door step for

women empowerment and gender equality.

women's empowerment and role of southern punjab poverty alleviation project, pakistan

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