Charter of Rights for rural women

Sohail Rashid

ISLAMABAD, October, 15, 2010: ‘Charter of rights for women in disaster situation in Pakistan’ was presented to the federal government and United Nations in a conference held here at lok Virsa on Friday in accordance with the ‘international day of rural women’.

The conference was organised by Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) in collaboration with the National Commission on the Status of Women, United Nation Development Funds for Women (UNIFEM) and over thirty other organisations.

The Charter was presented to the Federal Minister and chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Farzana Raja who was the chief guest of the conference.

Ms. Sameena Nazir, executive director PODA told the conference that PODA organised a series of advocacy and action strategy consultations throughout the country. Each provincial consultation has highlighted the critical issues that are being observed and raised by rural women activists working for flood relief in all parts of country and made practical suggestions for improvements. “As a result, a charter of rights for women in disaster situation in Pakistan’ has been developed” she said.

According to the details available with this news agency, the charter demands full participation of women in disaster mitigation and peace building. It also highlights economic rights to women in recognition of their contribution for economic empowered women in Pakistan.

While speaking on the occasion, Farzana Raja lauded the efforts made by PODA for the betterment of women of rural areas. “Our government is committed to give women equal rights as suggested by prophet Muhammad (PBUH). And President Asif Ali Zardari had gave us special instructions to fallow the advices made in such conferences” she said. She further said that through Benazir Bhutto income support programme government is trying to reduce poverty and to give women an equal status with men. She also said that poverty is the main reason behind terrorism and it should be reduced. “We have decided to continue BISP for four to ten years in order to obtain maximum goals”.

Previous, Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, Federal Minister for Culture, Ms. Alice Shakelford, Pakistan country director UNIFEM and Ms. Anis Haroon, chairperson, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) had also made their speeches in inaugural session of the conference. They stressed the need for betterment of rural women who have a healthy role in economical stability of any country in the world.

Later, Farzana Raja inaugurated an exhibition at Lok Virsa, organised by the deprived women of rural areas.