KARACHI: Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani has stressed the need to empower women by equipping them with digital tools, financial products and confidence so that they might engage themselves in workforce, manage household resources more effectively and strengthen their resilience to economic woes and climate-related shocks.

He was speaking at the launch of Digital and Financial Literacy Training (DFLT) programme by the Sindh Social Protection Authority (SSPA).

Implemented by Sustainable Development Policy Institute, the programme is backed by the European Union and the German Government through GIZ.

Mr Ghani said the initiative aligns with the Sindh government’s broader vision to empower women not only to survive but to thrive.

He said that social protection and labour empowerment “are two sides of the same coin,” thus expanding access to digital tools, banking channels, and financial capability is essential for women’s socioeconomic mobility.

Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Pakistan, emphasised that the initiative represents a critical pillar of the EU’s support to adaptive social rural women while incorporating modules on climate awareness, responsible parenting and nutrition.

He said nearly 25,000 women trained earlier had already improved their disaster preparedness and the EU now aims to reach 60,000 women with the help of Sindh government by spring 2026.

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, SDPI Executive Director, said the DFLT initiative embodies a shared resolve to ensure that women especially those in climate-affected communities are not left behind in Pakistan’s digital transformation.

Meriem El Harouchi, the First Secretary at the EU Delegation to Pakistan, said that when the world is becoming ‘hyper-digitalised’, the marginalised women particularly in rural areas still lack the confidence to use basic phone functions, digital wallets, or financial tools.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2025