ISLAMABAD: Reiterating its commitment for the uplift of rural women, Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) launched a report of its last year’s annual rural women conference on Tuesday.

The launching ceremony was attended by representatives from government departments, development sector, lawyers, media, rural women leaders, transgender persons, donor community and youth.

According to a statement, the three-day 16th Annual Rural Women Conference was held from October 15 to 17 in Islamabad last year, which marked a significant occasion in the advocacy of rural women’s rights and empowerment.

Speaking on the occasion, CEO and founder of PODA Sameena Nazir appreciated the efforts of the rural women farmers who being the backbone of the agriculture sector were still not acknowledged for their contributions. She also appreciated the donor community which showed commitment towards protecting and promoting human rights, especially of rural women farmers who needed dire attention of the government for their inclusion in the policies addressing their needs and priorities.

Applauding the efforts of PODA for organising the conference every year since 2009, Senator Farhatullah Babar termed the conference resolution a timely measure as he succeeded in accommodating some recommendations in his party’s manifesto.

“PODA conference opened new vistas for me to understand new dimensions of the work done by PODA every year in the form of the conference which provides a rich opportunity to around 2,000 rural women who travel across the country and interact with each other on issues following their priorities,” Farhatullah Babar said.

Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan Secretary Riffat Inam Butt said: “Usually organisations work on an issue for a limited period of time and then are dropped in the middle of nowhere. However, PODA stands for a social cause like ending child marriages wholeheartedly and owns the issue holistically leading towards a pragmatic way forward.”

Sharing her views, Sameena Nazir said it had been PODA’s signature event for the past 16 years, an annual celebration dedicated to honouring and commemorating the resilience, struggles and triumphs of Pakistani women, particularly from rural communities.

From highlighting challenges faced by rural women to celebrating their resilience and achievements, the report would serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, NGOs and individuals committed to promoting gender equality and rural development. The audience also approved the theme for the next conference which would be focused on different dimensions to stop child marriages.

The report launch ended with a musical performance by Dr Nagina Sadaf.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2024