Pakistani Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights (PCSW&HR) organized a launching ceremony of its project “Economic Empowerment of Women through Vocational, Life Skills, Cultivation training for kitchen gardening and Computer literacy” at Rawalakot on 1st June 2014. This project is being executed by PCSW&HR with the collaboration of OBOS “The One Body One Spirit Movement” Korea since January 2014 but this project was officially launched on 1st June 2014. President Azad Government State of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan was the chief guest of this project launching and certificate awarding ceremony whereas Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori Chairman PCSW&HR presided over the ceremony. Secretary to President Secretariat Government of AJ&K Sardar Khurshid Ahmed, political secretary Imran Zareef, Chairman Pearl Development Authority Rawalakot Sardar Muhammad Khalique, Administration Municipal Corporation Khan Zafar Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr. Umer Azam, Regional Coordinator PCSW&HR for AJK Region Sardar Abdul Khalique Advocate, Coordinators Mr. Ijaz Qamar, Mr. Muhammad Latif, Sardar Amir Khurshid, Ghulam Farooq, Sardar Rahim and Hundreds of male & female from all walks of life, Government officials, influential, political & religious leaders, learners & instructors of vocational and computer centres, media representatives etc participated in the ceremony. Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan President and Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori officially launched the project. The purpose of this project is to economically empower the women through vocational, life skills and cultivation training for kitchen gardening through the 15 vocational training centres and also provide the computer training to young male & female through its computer literacy centres at various parts of District Poonch. During the ceremony certificates were also awarded to the learners those have successfully completed their vocational and computer training in the vocational and computer literacy centres established by Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights in 2013 session at Poonch district AJ&K.
The ceremony started with the recitation of Holy Quran. After that Mr. Sardar Abdul Khalique Advocate Regional Coordinator PCSW&HR for AJ&K region comprehensively briefed the participants of ceremony about the PCSW&HR’s initiatives in which provision of immediate relief after the worst ever earthquake of 8th October 2005 and after in rehabilitation phase the provision of permanent shelters to 280 families, establishment of 12 children parks and 1 adult park etc. He also informed the chief guest and participants that with the collaboration of OBOS “The One Body One Spirit Movement Korea, Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights is also working for the Economic Empowerment of those women affected due to 2005 earthquake at various parts of Azad Jammu & Kashmir since 2008.
The main purpose of this project is to economically empower the women through vocational, routine life skills, cultivation and computer literacy training. For this purpose, 15 vocational training centres and 10 computer literacy centres have been established. Through the vocational training centres training on tailoring, cutting, sewing, hand & machine embroidery, hand knitting, fabric painting, toy & flower making is being imparted to women. Routine life skill training covers the Training on First Aid, health education including reproductive health, early childcare, and role of women in strengthen of democracy, religious tolerance, intercultural & inter-religious harmony, peace, access to justice minor ailments & its treatment, human & women rights, domestic violence etc. First Aid Kits are also being provided to women after the completion of First Aid Training. Theoretical and practical training on cultivation to fulfill the kitchen needs is also being provided to women at vocational training centres. Since 2012, under this project computer literacy centres also have been established and through these centres computer education is being provided to women. He also presented the Year wise performance this project which is as under
2008 – 2009
476 women completed their vocational, routine life skills and cultivation training.
2010
485 women completed their vocational, routine life skills and cultivation training
2011
489 women completed their vocational, routine life skills and cultivation training
2012
465 women in vocational training centres and 350 male & female completed their vocational and
Computer literacy training.
2013
475 women completed their vocational training in vocational training centres and 501 male & female successfully completed their computer literacy training in the computer centres. During this project 500 students of high class were also orientated on the issues of peace, justice, human rights, inter-religious & intercultural harmony and environmental issues.
Sardar Abdul Khalique Advocate Region Coordinator PCSW&HR also informed the participants that while executing this project since 2008, 90 community based groups also have been formed and their capacity has been built on the issues of identification of problems at local level and their solutions, conflict resolution, utilization of local available resources and fund raising at local level, gender, human rights and environment issues. As per the methodology of this project various vocational training centres have been handed over to local community and local community is running these vocational training centres with the help of these community based groups formed by PCSW&HR during this project.
While addressing during the Project launching and certificate awarding ceremony Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori Chairman Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights thanked the President of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan to spare his precious time and participated in the ceremony as chief guest keeping in the view the importance of empowerment of women. He also thanked the all participants and local influential those assist and cooperation the PCSW&HR to implement this very important project for the economic empowerment of women. Mr. Noori said that women empowerment is a matter of key concern in
national and international policy making and activities of social life. Nations cannot achieve their development goals if their women are discriminated. Women’s empowerment is in fact necessary condition for socio-economic development of a country. He further said that women in most part of Pakistan are not enjoying the fundamental human rights. They are less healthy, less nourished and more vulnerable than men. Patriarchal nature of society in Pakistan, provide women fewer chances to acquire property, low level of legal support for justice and few opportunities for political participation. They have to cross a number of socio-cultural barriers when they want to work for income generation.
Mr. Noori also said that while working for the women rights PCSW&HR has been thinking that how women can acquire their due status? How they can acquire freedom to speak for their rights? How they can protect them from unjust treatment? How their contribution to household activities can be recognized? How can they contribute to the wellbeing of their family and the progress of country and we found that answer to all these question lies in the frame work of women’s empowerment, In recent years question of women’s empowerment is of key concern in national and international policy making and civil society activities that’s why we emphasized the women empowerment and initiated this project “Economic empowerment of women in 2008 with the collaboration of our Korean counterpart OBOS “The One Body One Spirit Movement” and since we started this program it is very encouraging for us that lot of women have been benefited from this program and now most of them are earning their income at their own end as per the theme of this project.
Mr. Noori also urged that Government should provide the facilities to women for their empowerment and also implement such kind of policies in which women can play their important role for the development of country. He also said that Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights will continue their efforts for the empowerment of women as well youth at various parts of AJ&K with the collaboration of its counterparts. He also said that we will continue our efforts for the empowerment of women in all sectors including the political empowerment till even a women belonging an average family has no political background may elect the member legislative assembly or play its political role at Government level.
While addressing the ceremony as chief guest President Azad Government State Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan said that due to external debits by the international financial institutions we are facing severe financial crises. For sustainable development, freedom of occupied Kashmir and to make Pakistan in real self sustain it is necessary that whole Pakistani nation should adopt the policy of self sustain and self confidence, otherwise Pakistan and Azad Kashmir will remain the dependent on the IMF or others international financial institutions.
He said that only those nation attain the development those change them according to latest technologies, knowledge and vision. He further said that women should play their important role for the economic development of nation and Govt. of AJ&K will utilize the potential of women in all sectors. He said that social and economic empowerment of Pakistani women is still very low and their struggle is still on. It is universal truth if we may utilize the potential and abilities of women than they can bring revolution. He said that it matter of concern that we have forget to work with our hands due to this we are facing so many problems, focusing the agriculture sector we can overcome these problems. He added that respect for human rights is essential element for real democracy. Democracy provides the natural environment for the protection and effective realization of human rights. He lauded the efforts of Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights for their humble work for the protection of human rights, women rights, child rights, sustainable development. He said that without the concept of protection of human rights we can’t acquire sustainable development. He said we are trying our best to make Azad Jammu & Kashmir a model state to utilize our natural resources, we will also provide the employment to all unemployed people. He emphasized the need of vocational training for women in the far area of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, he also urged the Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights that such kind of projects for the empowerment of women should continue on long term basis in the potential area where facility of vocational training for women is not available.
President of AJ&K Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan and Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori also awarded the certificates to learners of vocational and computer literacy centres those successfully completed their vocational and computer literacy training at the vocational and computer literacy centres established by Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights with the collaboration of OBOS “The One Body One Spirit Movement” Korea in 2013 session. Official souvenir was also presented to President of AJ&K by PCSW&HR. Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori presented the souvenir to Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan President of AJ&K.
