ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) have joined hands for gender equality and women economic empowerment.

This alliance reflects a joint effort to harness the potential of women as catalysts for change.

A Letter of Intent (LOI) to this effect was signed by CEO PPAF Nadir Gul Barech and NCSW Chairperson Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar. The ceremony was attended by the representatives from academia, media, and civil society organisations.

Through this partnership, PPAF and NCSW will initiate a series of programmes aimed at advancing women’s social and economic empowerment safeguarding their constitutional and fundamental human rights.

The initiatives include advocacy efforts with the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to promote gender-equal policies, as well as inter-ministerial dialogues to address barriers hindering women’s participation in economic development.

Additionally, both organisations collectively aimed at taking forward the initiatives of partner organisation Dukhtaran-i-Pakistan across the country. It was agreed that collaborative research initiatives with academia and research institutions will explore avenues for women’s involvement in poverty reduction, economic growth, digitalization, participatory development, and climate change response.

CEO PPAF Nadir Gul Barech highlighted the transformative power of collective action in empowering women and creating a more equitable society. He expressed profound optimism about the partnership’s potential to catalyze tangible change, enriching the lives of women across Pakistan and nurturing a future defined by equal opportunities and prospects for exploring their hidden potential.

Nadir Gul also shared that since inception, PPAF has established linkages and partnerships with civil society organisations, community-based organisations and engaged with international donors to serve the most marginalised communities in Pakistan.

Till date PPAF has formed 94,000 women’s community institutions to promote leadership skills in community women, helping them to contribute towards conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

To ensure women’s economic empowerment and build sustainable livelihoods, the organisation has provided 128,400 productive assets, 125 matching grants to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), 1,738,000 interest-free loans, and vocational and enterprise development training to 222,000 women, he further added.

Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar praised the collaboration as a landmark in promoting gender equality in Pakistan which is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development goals and creating a tolerant and peaceful society.

She emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to create an enabling environment for women to contribute to an economically stable Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2024