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Thursday March 28, 2024

Speakers demand govt to recognise women working in farming or livestock as agriculture workers

By Myra Imran
October 17, 2017

Islamabad :Speakers at the National Rural Women Conference demanded the government to recognise women working in farming or livestock as agriculture workers. They called for developing a rural women manifesto before next elections and designing an advocacy campaign to inculcate the demands of rural women in the upcoming party manifestos. 

Over 1,000 women from over 100 districts participated in the conference to demand women’s role in decision-making regarding democracy and sustainable development in Pakistan. The women were brought together by Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA) as part of its annual conference on Rural Women Day celebrated by the United Nations on October 15 every year.

On the first day of the conference three policy dialogues on political empowerment of rural women, climate change and food security for rural women were organized. The conference also featured colourful stalls of hand made products by rural women artisans, dance and theatre performance.

Women representing all regions of Pakistan participated in the conference including farmers, women leaders, health workers, teachers, home based workers, lawyers, women farmers and community workers. Chief Executive, Rural Support Program Network (RSPN) Shandana Khan, Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Khawar Mumtaz, Executive Director Democratic Commission on Human Development Tanveer Jahan and Chairperson, Rural Support Programmes Network Shoaib Sultan, addressed the gathering.

Executive Director, PODA Kaukab Jehan opened house for the two-day conference and said that rural women have an integral role in the country’s democracy and sustainable development. She said PODA is organising this conference to highlight the need to recognize women’s contributions in democracy and sustainable development. Sameena Nazir, founder and member executive board, PODA, said that to bring Rural women to this podium for 10 consecutive years is an achievement in itself.

Chairperson of NCSW Khawar Mumtaz highlighted the need to recognize farmer women as workers under the law so that they can claim equal rights. She also called for increase in the wages of farmer women making it equal to men workers. She also stressed the need for the provision of services to women along with creating awareness.

Chairperson RSPN Shoaib Sultan said that rural women should be included in decision making at all levels. He pointed that so far no comprehensive policy for rural women development has been introduced. The key to women economic empowerment, especially for rural women would be to get organised and work collectively. He said that being part of decision making process for women would be crucial to achieve their social, economic and political empowerment.

While addressing the policy dialogue on political empowerment of rural women Tanveer Jahan said that women political participation has always been a challenge in Pakistan particularly in rural areas. Number of socio-political, economic and security factors affect the political participation of women. She shared that without political participation of rural women the country cannot be developed.

Additional Director General for Public Relation, Election Commission of Pakistan Haroon Shinwari said that landmark electoral reform law ensured women political participation by mandating political parties to provide tickets to women so they can contest elections on general seats. He also stressed upon the participation of women in not only contesting election but also in casting their vote to have ownership in legislation and policy making.

Chairperson, Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) Fouzia Viqar shared that according to the ECP lists, among the country’s 97 million registered voters, 56 per cent are males and 44 are females. An estimated 10.1 million women, above the age of 18 years and eligible to get registered as voters do not have Computerised National Identity Cards a prerequisite for getting registered as a voter. “It means that a large fraction of women cannot participate in electoral process.” She emphasized that all stakeholders should play their role in facilitating women to have their CNICs and voter registration so they can use their right to vote in upcoming General Elections.

Nutritionist, Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Dr. Nomeena Anis said that rural women are more vulnerable in climate change as they are the main producers of the food. She said that rural women should be engaged in policy formulation related to climate change and food security.