Speakers in a seminar have called upon the society, educational institutes and policy makers to work jointly for empowering the rural womenfolk by providing them education, health and other basic facilities.
The seminar on women's literacy and empowerment was jointly organised by the Sindh Development Study Centre, Sindh University (SU) and National Commission on Human Development (NCHD) to mark the International Women's Day.
The speakers viewed that illiteracy was a barrier against women's empowerment. Even though, women are representing rural masses in the assemblies, their problems remain unattended, they said. The Pro VC, SU, Dr Rafia Ahmed Shaikh while presiding over the event said that only collective efforts could address the miseries of women living in the remote areas.
"It is unfortunate that in Pakistan today many of the rights bestowed upon women by Islam, have been usurped by tribal customs and cultural beliefs", she regretted and pointed out that in some of the northern regions of Pakistan unwritten laws deny women their share of inheritance.
She also said that presently more than 35% girls are getting education in the universities while out of 55 institutes and departments, 20 institutes and departments are headed by female scholars and appreciated the speakers for highlighting different women's issues in their papers.
Professor Qaladar Lakyari stressed the need of continuous research study to check merits and demerits of changes happening around in the society saying that modernisation in culture and traditions is creating problems for the community in rural society.
Professor Shah criticised the service providing organisations for their failure in providing proper health and education to the rural community. Noted Gynaecologist, Dr Roashan Ara Kazi said that Gynaecology department at LMC Jamshoro is providing 24 hours services but due to lack of education and unawareness, majority of women don't adopt family planning therefore suffer form different diseases in addition to financial burden.
Sociologist, Dr Tanveer Junejo while addressing the seminar, highlighted the historical perspective of women's struggle for their rights and added that in 1975 the UNO officially declared March 8 as the International Women's Day.
Another speaker, the Director SDSC, Dr Abida Tahrani giving the an introduction of her department said that the SDSC is the leading organisation in Karachi and Lahore that has the capability to carry out extensive field work in the remote areas of the Sindh and other parts of the country.
She said that SDSC has emerged as a leading institution for new generation of professionals and applied research scientists in the field of economics, agriculture, sociology, education health, environment and related sectors and has been involved in a wide variety of applied research, training and educational activities in diverse sectors.
One of its most demanding assignment to date is the 11-year contract for the monitoring and evaluation of the socio-economic impact of the left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) project, the Country's largest irrigation and drainage project supported by consortium of donor agencies.
The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr Iqbal Ahmed Panhwar said that the NGO's should consider checking the dire need of the community with special reference to community-NGO co-ordination. The Director, NCHD, Sohail Rajput informed the house that its main programme of was to empower the women of country, especially of rural Sindh through education.
He said that only 54 percent children are school going and their dropout ratio is 30 percent added that the NCHD has opened 95 literacy centres across the Country. Out of those, 23 have been set up in the Sindh province.
It has also set up 16 Computer Literacy centres for women in different parts of the province. 500 girls have graduated from these centres while 300 are employed. The DCO Jamshoro, Ahmed Bux Narejo, Deans of various faculties, senior professors, teachers, students, social workers and people from different walks of life attended the seminar.