Hira Ali Malik
Back in early 1990s, under Literacy and Mass Education Commission (LAMEC) my mother went from village to village, as Supervisor Quranic Literacy Project (1992-94) to open community-based schools for women. Records reveal that even before 1990s there were decades of planning and policy making towards women education and skill building. It is heartening to see that the struggle towards educating women and establishing them on stable economic footings was continued for years. And to date, many baby-steps have been taken by both the government and Non-governmental Organizations (NGO) for uplifting and empowering the women. Although, there were several projects and programmes working to achieve outcomes that could make a difference, but, such a huge funding allocated specifically for the vulnerable segment could still not create a much greater impact, to bring a significant change in the overall picture.
For instance, only in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK) there are different departments and NGOs working in the education, health, social sector, skill development, infrastructure etc. it still calls into question the performance of these organizations and the outcomes achieved. Now let us take some of the departments in KPK province for a clear understanding of the scenario. One such example is the revolutionary governance model that the government has embarked upon, entitled as Community Driven Local Development (CDLD). CDLD is a policy of the government of KPK, rather an aspiration of the citizens to improve their lives and livelihood. This programme undertakes a broad range of projects in various major sectors such as health, education, sports, roads, agriculture, social works etc. Under the CDLD program government of KPK is committed to advancing equality between males and females, therefore, about 20% of its annual budget is allocated for women specific projects. Here one may ask, is this twenty percent fund serving the right purpose i.e. ‘to improve the lives and livelihood’. Are the women specific schemes targeted at generating income and achieving financial stability? Unfortunately, these questions cannot be answered in affirmative because majority of the projects approved serve other basic necessities which are not entirely targeting the females but the whole community. Besides this, CDLD approves projects incorporated in Village Council Development Plan (VCDP), but, it is pertinent here to inquire if women do have a say in these development plans or not. In most of the cases the livelihood projects specifically for women are not even included. Even though, there are many schemes completed under CDLD particularly in health and education sector, but, livelihood and income generation remain a far cry.
Similarly, there is Social Welfare department with a special focus on Women Empowerment Institutions such as Women Crisis Centers, Vocational Training Centers and Working Women Hostels in different districts of the province. The total beneficiaries of vocational centers alone for the year 2016-17 was eleven thousand three hundred and six (11,306) as reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW). Though, the beneficiaries are in huge numbers, yet these centers demand innovation. Innovation can be brought in the vocational training centers by introducing technology and use of modern entrepreneurial skills, something that can deviate from the monotony of ages. Another challenge this department faces is paying rents for the buildings they use;the buildings are usually rented which if owned publicly can save a valuable amount that could be invested more effectively. Unlike CDLD, Social Welfare does not have enough budget to invest in infrastructure. Instead the rental charges for the said centers during 2016-17were Rs. 958,300 per month as reported by KPCSW. That’s how the meager funds of department allocated for women, hardly serve the purpose to the deemed extent.
Thirdly, departments like SMEDA which are operating in KPK with a mission to assist in employment generation and value addition to the national income. SMEDA unlike Social Welfare hasintroduced many innovative ideas to engage women in businesses. Also, alongside innovation, SMEDA focusses on empowering women to the level that the role of middleman is reduced if not fully over. Yet again SMEDAalso faces challenges which if surmounted can result in a significant change.One bigger concern as highlighted by the Director Policy& Planning Dr. Nadia Jahangir Seth is the infrastructure constraint which if resolved by engaging a local partneror by other interventions of policy, has a huge potential to grow and innovate.
In the light of these few examples and the limitations they are facing, it can be realized that there is a dire needof creating a conducive policy environment to identify the issues whether they are related to technology, funding, infrastructure, human resource development or skill building. Despite governmental commitment to reduce gender disparities, nothing has been done to evolve a suitable action plan to elevate women socio-economic status. The Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) is also made with the same objective i.e. to strengthen the voice of the women legislators, but, the Chairperson WPC Dr. Sumera Shams is also of the opinion that,‘there is a lot being done still we feel the need to do more for empowering women.’
In furtherance, the programs and policies highlighted above are all visionary however, their impact on the grass root level isyet to be achieved.Nonetheless, the solution lies in partnering to get collective outputs on the similar aims and objectives. This can only be achieved by gathering representatives from all departments on one platform to consult each other’s problems and suggest best possible assistance. Such a collaboration can fill in the gaps and can endeavor to facilitate creating a colossal impact. Meanwhile, WPC can play a vital role in bringing a monumental change by providing a sound support to this joint move leading to women empowerment in the true sense of the word.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
