ISLAMABAD: Nasim Akhter’s husband divorced her when she went to the courts after he took a second wife without her permission. He also refused to pay maintenance for their daughters.

Speaking at the 11th Annual Rural Women’s Conference on Tuesday, she said her ex-husband is a police officer and is threatening her with false cases.

“My daughters are in school and I am getting tired of this legal battle. I request all the women’s rights activists and officials here to help me. He is an influential man and I do not have the resources for pursuing court cases,” she said.

Nazia Aarian from Jamshoro, Sindh, said she took care of her three children after her husband went missing and also started an organisation for beggar women and children with no resources. She said she showed them how to sew. Ms Aarian also started a school for street children in their informal settlement.

“I was diagnosed with cancer but I never lost heart and fought the disease. Now, a donor has helped with constructing a building for the school. Everyone faces hardships in life, but I urge women to not lose hope and believe in themselves,” she said.

Annual conference facilitates women to meet, take inspiration and share ideas

Some 2,000 women from rural areas participated in the conference and shared the problems they face as well as their success stories.

Four discussion sessions were part of the event’s second day where experts and officials discussed various issues related to women such as the economic empowerment of rural women, policy dialogue on gender based violence and dialogue on rural women, water and climate change affects on women.

Speakers said women parliamentarians should assume key role through legislative and policy measures. They said steps should be taken to minimise the impacts of climate change on rural women and to take significant inroads towards reducing poverty that is adversely hitting rural women and girls in particular.

PPP MPA Sindh Tanzeela Qambrani said women should recognise their status in society. She said women should be aware of their rights and must raise a voice for them. She stressed on the need for educating rural women in order to help improve their lives.

Speakers demanded the government should formulate a comprehensive agriculture policy focusing on small farmers, especially rural women working in fields. They demanded the reservation of seats in the National Assembly for rural women and small farmers and that rural women, and communities in general, should be educated on the challenges of climate change.

Talking to Dawn, Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (Poda) Founding Chairperson Samina Nazeer said the conference is meant to be a platform for the rural women of Sindh to meet with those from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and for those from Balochistan to meet with women from Gilgit-Baltistan.

“The women get inspiration from one another and share ideas for working in their areas. Travelling is itself a big source of learning,’ she said.

Rural women from across Pakistan also unanimously passed a resolution in which they have demanded policy action for the development and prosperity of rural women.

A craft bazaar was setup outside the conference hall showcasing items made by women. The stalls featured hand embroidered apparel, fashion and home accessories, natural dye block prints, traditional silver jewellery, wall hangings, mobile phone cases, shawls and decorative pieces.

The annual two-day conference was hosted by Poda in collaboration with a number of national and international development partners at Lok Virsa.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2018