Workshop on Gender Empowerment and Home Life Improvement

Speakers of the workshop on “gender empowerment and home life improvement” underscored the need for changing mindset which creates hurdles in recognizing and bringing the women in mainstream of the society. The workshop organized by Institute of Agri. Extension & Rural Development in association with UAF community college at Iqbal Auditorium on Saturday morning. Addressing the participants as chief guest, UAF VC Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan emphasized the need of changing mindset which limits women recognition and acceptance in the society. He urged the organizers to extend their scope of work and get an impact assessment of the participating families as such initiatives need to effect tangible benefits to the family, society and country at large. He told that Aurat Foundation is undertaking a variety of programs like training, skill development projects, participatory social development, and Gender Equity programs worth 45 million dollars and University would like to become its partner by offering capacity building, skill development and outreach programs as UAF is a proud member of NEVTEC, ICDD, AusAid, USDA, USAID, IFPRI, TIKA, and Punjab Government’s skill development programs. He revealed that UAF is going to hold skill development programs at AJK saying that there is a tremendous potential of raising the cottage industry of branding the Achaar which can grab a huge global market worth billion of US dollars. Dr. Iqrar A Khan expressed his dismay over non-existence of any recipient organization from Pakistan winning 64 projects of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address the gynecological issues around the world. Dr. Khan urged the academia of the Inst of Agri. Extension and Rural Development to launch such programs of community participation and skill development which can ultimately transform into tangible benefits to the society. Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Zafar urged the participating females to equip themselves with such skills helping them in economic generation. He said that some students of the faculty are working on impact assessment of the project. Earlier, delivering welcome address, Dr. Tanvir Ali Director Inst. of Agri. Extension and Rural Development highlighted salient features of the project and told that UAF is a comprehensive university, and besides offering under and postgraduate degree programs, it organizes a range of on-campus and off-campus skill development programs aiming at making the participants skillful and hand on experience which enable them to engage themselves in economic generation businesses. He told that about 186 females got training at Laboratory Girls High School and as many as 787 females belonging to Chak # 260, 263, 265, 266, and 273 RB were equipped with various skills through short courses including beauty parlor, poultry farming, goat farming, livestock management, stitching, cooking, computer classes, first aid, preservation of food post-harvest practices, and better health practices etc. He said that the university’s administration interventions including induction of 135 female teachers, training of female faculty, women health centre, women complex, summer schools, evening camps and others had played a significant role in catering the needs of women at campus. He said that the university was also kicking off the transmission of FM to educate the locals as well as rural community about the latest agrarian practices. He said that radio would also provide a platform to the students about polishing and exhibiting their agricultural journalism skills. Other speakers include Dr. Saira Akhtar, Dr. Zakria Yousaf Hassan, Ms Rakhshanda Akhtar, Dr. Shaukat Ali, Miss Mahwish Munawar, Qari Muhammad Iqbal and Prof. (Rtd) Zubair Siddique and others also spoke on the occasion.