Terming them 'the most resilient and industrious women', Sindh Commission on Status of Women (SCSW) on Saturday celebrated International Women's Day by honoring Thari women working in the industrial sector in Thar.

The SCSW announced to replicate Thar Foundation's gender-inclusive model in other areas of Sindh with the support of the Government of Sindh, which will set a new precedent in making women economically and socially empowered.

A delegation of Sindh Women Commission led by its chairperson, Ms Nuzhat Shirin celebrated women day in Thar Coal Block II where Thari women working in transporting coal through 60tons of dump trucks, supervising Khushaal Thar Driving School (KTDS), operating RO Plants and running a catering business.

The delegation, comprising of commission members Ms Rahiman Panhwar, Ms Malka Khan and Ms Darakshan Sualeh and others, visited women working areas at Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, Engro Powergen Thar Limited and Thar Foundation interventions. They interacted with women engineers, women dump truck drivers, women RO Plant operators, caretakers of a daycare center, women trainees of KTDS and catering business owners.

Later, a ceremony was held to honor the working women of rural areas at Thar Coal Block II where many working women attended the event.

Addressing the women group, SCSW Chairperson Ms Nuzhat Shirin said, she is amazed to see women's participation in the industry.

"We've witnessed women working on dump trucks, operating RO Plants and mining coal deposits and above all, they are being technically trained in the industry to earn a decent wage at par with men," she said.

"Thar Foundation's model has to be replicated across Sindh and SCSW will work together with Thar Foundation to train women for industry jobs," she said.

Apart from doing conventional jobs, SCSW Chairperson said women need to be trained in new areas of different industrial sectors, which will bring economic revolution in the rural setting of Sindh.

Earlier Director Site Operations SECMC, Syed Murtaza Azher Rizvi welcomed the delegation to Thar and said, owing to the socio-cultural constraints, it was very difficult for us to bring Thari women on technical positions but SECMC made this daunting task possible and changed the culture.

"Now we have dozens of women proudly working with SECMC and Thar Foundation and contributing to the cause of women empowerment and gender inclusiveness," he said.