Strengthening Participatory Organization celebrates International Women’s Day honoring women and girls from Umerkot and Sanghar districts to highlight their contribution in the society

Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) celebrated the International Women’s Day in Umerkot to honor the remarkable achievements of women under this year’s theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”

The SPO, under the NCA- Norwegian Church Aid funded Faith in action for sustainable climate resilience project celebrated the day to give respect to local women and girls from Umerkot and Sanghar districts to highlight their key efforts and contribution in the society.

This day was celebrated at Tharparkar Institute of Health Sciences, with 120 participants including youth, active girls, women, civil society activists, duty bearers, and other stakeholders from the Social Welfare Department, academia, Baitulmal, and the District Administration.

Speaking on this occasion, Abdul Hameed Mughal, ADC-I Umerkot, said that women face various challenges like gender-based violence, early child marriage, and other social issue. He highlighted the importance of women stepping forward and engaging with institutions to address these issues. He appreciated the SPO’s efforts for economic empowerment to women.

Muratza Gohar Salehni, the Additional Director of Social Welfare, shed light on the invaluable contributions of women and the indispensable role they play in societal advancement. He emphasized the transformative power of investing in women, recognizing it as a pivotal pathway to empowering them on a profound scale. Through strategic investment and support, he articulated, women can be equipped with the tools and opportunities necessary to unleash their full potential and catalyze positive change within their communities and beyond. His words resonated with a call to action, inspiring all present to champion the cause of women’s empowerment and embrace the collective responsibility to foster a more equitable and inclusive society.

Aaliya Tahirkheli, Program coordinator GBV in NCA Pakistan appreciated the local efforts of women in fostering sustainability and resilience within their communities. She lauded their initiative in establishing kitchen gardens and adopting energy-efficient stoves as impactful measures in mitigating climate risks. Recognizing the pivotal role of faith actors in driving positive change, she commended the women for leveraging their influence to champion environmental stewardship.

Aaliya also highlighted the importance of women-centric policies in fostering inclusivity and empowering women to become agents of change. Furthermore, she encouraged the active participation of women in self-help groups facilitated by organizations like SPO, with the invaluable support of NCA, to collectively address societal challenges and enhance community resilience. Her words resonated as a testament to the profound impact of grassroots efforts and collaborative initiatives in building a more sustainable and equitable future.

Rizwan, Program Coordinator at NCA Pakistan, highlighted the importance of including women for building a better society. He emphasized that true progress requires the active participation of women in every aspect of development. By breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, he believes we can create a society where women’s contributions are valued and recognized as essential for advancement.

Poonam, A climate ambassador and an active member of the FACE Group, highlighted the lack of awareness among women, leading to various challenges. She highlighted that women possess many skills but need to be connected with permanent solutions. FACE is actively contributing to this cause, empowering women to earn and thrive like men. She shared her journey of work in drainage issue.

Raj Bai, the President of the Women Self-Help Group in Hema Ram Colony, shared her work and unique contributions supported by SPO in an NCA-funded project. She established a nursery in her area, generating nine thousand per month. Additionally, she installed a biogas plant to save the environment and fuel expenses. Raj Bai also highlighted her role in empowering other women in her community.

Demi, an active member of the Women’s Self-Help Group in Umerkot, revealed that she constructed an eco-friendly stove in her home and helped 250 other women in her village to do the same. Additionally, three women from Ramji Kolhi are assisting in building stoves and generating income, she added. She said that in our village, Shaguna has cultivated various vegetables in her household, including spinach, carrot, lemon, lady finger, and lemon berry trees, earn seven to eight thousand rupees per month.

KB Mehr, Assistant Director of Bait ul-Mal, shared that the institution is providing free art training to widows, orphans, and deserving women. This training includes sewing, embroidery, and computer skills, along with a daily stipend. Through this initiative, the institution aims to empower deserving women economically, enabling them to become financially independent and influential, Women enrolled in this program experience an improvement in their economic and social status within society. They leverage their acquired skills and knowledge to establish small businesses, thereby enhancing their economic livelihoods, we will coordinate with SPO to select some women and contribute for this cause, he added.

Mushtaque Kunbhar, said, I’m really happy to see the women in Umerkot standing on their own feet, just like in other developing countries. They’re growing vegetable and fruits, and planting trees at home to tackle climate change, and the district administration is fully supporting NGOs in this effort.

During the event, a group of school students put on a theater performances highlighting the importance of women’s active participation in society, advocating for equality alongside men. They also presented songs aimed at raising awareness among women about various pertinent issues.

SPO team engaged women from WSHGs to set up local stalls highlighting the roles of women, which included Energy stoves, where women constructed 1275 stoves; Nari Climate Enterprise (a rural women-initiated business under NCA-funded SPO’s FASCR project) to sell cloth bags and other recycled materials; Seed bank, where SPO introduced 47 organic seed types with the support of women and SAU campus Umerkot; Compost manure plant, where women receive technical support from SAU campus for the natural growth of kitchen gardens and trees.

The SPO team under NCA funded NORAD general FASCR project awarded seven rural women who contributed to climate and other social issues and served as role models. This day highlighted the worth of investing in women and recognized their transformative power in accelerating progress and nurturing resilient communities.

The event was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner I, Abdul Hameed Mughal, with participation from Baitulmal, social welfare, local government, education department, academia, High schools, CSOs, WSHGs, and communities.

SPO is a national organization dedicated to social development, recognizes the pivotal role women play in driving progress in their communities. As part of our commitment to honoring their achievements, SPO highlighted the role of five active women who contributed, invested their time and energy, and succeeded. They have shared their successful journey among participants.  During the program, various stakeholders shared their ideas to empower women socio-politically and economically. (PR)

Published under International Cooperation with "Sindh Courier"