Call for women uplift to address climate change

Islamabad:Women from over 132 districts nationwide, including the four provinces and the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, got together in the capital to demand recognition of women as ‘farmers,’ at the inaugural event of the three-day ‘17th Annual Rural Women Leadership Training Conference’ on Tuesday, The conference is organised by Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) in collaboration with Lok Virsa.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Romina Khurshid Alam was the chief guest on the occasion. The fundamental focus of Tuesday’s proceedings was to bring the issues facing rural women to the forefront, ensuring that they can benefit from government policies and services. Lok Virsa collaborated with PODA to organize the conference on its premises. Speaking on this occasion, Romina Khurshid Alam, called for the empowerment of women to address climate change challenges while praising their contributions in agriculture, the economy, and other fields. Alam urged all provincial governments to take steps toward empowering women and improving healthcare, particularly focusing on the rights of girls and women in rural areas. She commended the resilience of rural women in the face of challenges, emphasising that their participation in decision-making processes and empowerment will positively impact the overall plight of women across the country.

She informed the women leaders that the federal government has launched a program in Balochistan titled ‘She Power,’ in collaboration with the Chinese government, aimed at improving health and hygiene conditions for girls and women. She stated that women’s empowerment will have far-reaching impacts on the country’s economy, agriculture, and climate change issues.

While welcoming the women leaders, Sameena Nazir, executive director of PODA, said that women make up around 60 percent of the agricultural labour force in Pakistan. “However, research indicates that if these women had equal access to productive resources as men, they could increase farm yields by 20 to 30 percent, leading to a rise in total agricultural output in the country by 2.5 to 4 per cent. This improvement could help reduce hunger and poverty while enhancing the quality of life for women, who are the backbone of the agricultural sector,” she said.

In a message, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif commended the women participants for highlighting the progress and development of rural women. He emphasised that rural women play a crucial role in ensuring food security, maintaining agricultural sustainability, protecting the environment, and significantly contributing to the health and education sectors. He also reiterated his government’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for all women and girls, particularly in rural areas, ensuring they have access to quality education, health services, vocational and professional training, and sustainable livelihoods.

Director General of Population Welfare, Punjab, Saman Rai, appreciated PODA for its efforts in organising an impactful gathering where women could come together to share their experiences, strengthen their leadership skills, and advocate for their rights in the agricultural sector. She also visited the stalls and praised PODA for providing training to women in olive production, thereby creating opportunities for their economic empowerment.

Other prominent speakers included Rahila Hameed Durrani, Minister for Women Development, Balochistan, MPA Uzma Kardar, CM-Punjab’s Focal Person for Polio, MPA Advocate Kanwal Liaquat, Parliamentary Secretary for Environment Protection and Climate Change and Member of the Women Protection Authority, Punjab, Farah Naz Akber, Parliamentary Secretary, National Heritage and Culture Division, Dilshad Bano, Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development of Gilgit-Baltistan, Samina Fazil, President of the Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Akeela Naz, representing women farmers of South Punjab.