Minister of State and Chairperson BISP, MNA Marvi Memon said that empowering women is the vision of the BISP under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and therefore all the quarters concerned will be taken on board to achieve this purpose. She was addressing the first women empowerment conference organised at Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Secretariat on Friday.
Women empowerment conference was called by BISP to deliberate upon how could BISP beneficiaries be best empowered, what could be done to promote the agenda of empowerment of BISP beneficiary women, how can the platform of BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs) be used for successful implementation of the ideas of the participants of the conference and what special programs are being designed for women empowerment in Pakistan or around the world, which can be replicated here.
The participants of the conference included Senator Rubina Khalid (PPP), MNA Ayesha (JI), MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan (JUI-F), Dr Zeba A. Sathar member of BISP board and Country Director of Population Council, Fatima Naqvi (DFID), Saba Khatak and Gul Najam Jami from World Bank, Masooma Butt from WHO, Gillian McFarland (UNICEF), Zulfiqar Rao and Sultan Mehmood from WFP, Khawar Mumtaz Chairperson National Commission on Status of Women, Dr Nabeela Shahid and Saira Bano from NRSP, Sarwat Tahira Habib Chief Collector Customs North, Mrs Raana Seerat Chief Commissioner LTU, Anjum Asad Amin Additional Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Farzana Bari Professor Quaid-e-Azam University and social activist and Nudrat Gillani.
It was also discussed that the areas, in which beneficiaries have abundance of certain products like milk and dates, may be identified. These beneficiaries may be connected to the markets and a market place may also be allocated for them where they can showcase their products for sale. Another idea focused on demand driven solutions to the problems of beneficiary women.
This idea highlighted the role of BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs). The feedback of women included in BBCs on their problems may help to design projects which can address their issues related to education, health and finances. A project “Zero Hunger Programme” under National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) also came under discussion.-PR
