HYDERABAD: On the eve of International Literacy Day, the Sindh Community Foundation (SCF), in collaboration with its partner organizations, organized a seminar in Matiari to emphasize the role of literacy in safeguarding rights and promoting decent work. The event focused on how literacy can protect women cotton workers, who often face wage discrimination and exploitation due to a lack of education.

Javed Hussain, representing SCF, opened the seminar by noting Pakistan’s literacy rate of 62.3%, with Sindh, particularly its women, trailing behind at just 51%. He stressed the urgent need for a unified effort from the government, NGOs, and the private sector to improve literacy rates, particularly among rural women.

Hussain also celebrated the success of 438 women cotton workers from 14 villages in Matiari who recently completed a six-month literacy program at Suhaee Literacy Centers. He stressed the importance of adult education, urging the government to resume programs to empower more women with essential reading and writing skills.

Other speakers, including women’s rights activist Shahnaz Sheedi and labor leader Taj Maree, Additional director social welfare department district Matiari Rafeeq Jamali, echoed literacy’s transformative impact on confidence and empowerment, particularly in negotiating for fair wages and better working conditions.

Ms. Naseem Mallah, a cotton worker who participated in the literacy program, shared her experience: “Before, I couldn’t even write my name or read a clock. Now, I can tell time and write my name.” She credited the literacy classes with giving her the confidence to advocate for fair wages and labour rights.

Ms. Hira Arain and Ms. Zubaida Turk of SCF expressed their commitment to expanding the literacy program to more villages in the district.

They noted the previous cohort’s positive impact on the lives of women cotton workers and highlighted the program’s success in equipping women with basic literacy skills and empowering them in their personal and professional lives.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024