Broadening partnerships stressed

LAHORE - Secretary General Pakistan Muslim League-N (Womens Wing) and Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz has emphasised the need for documenting curriculum reforms process and using powerful narratives from the marginalized sections of society to inform the textbook writing process. She was addressing the concluding session of a six-day workshop - 'Spaces for Young Women: Research, experimentation and practice - at Kinnaird College Lahore on Saturday. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the South Asian Women Network - Education Group from Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi and the South Asian Forum for Education Development (SAFED) based in Pakistan. On this occasion, 30 participants from NWFP, Sindh and Punjab ranging from students, teachers, researchers, social activists and writers were given certificates of participation by Begum Zakia Shahnawaz and Dr Bernadette Dean, Principal Kinnaird College, Lahore. Narratives were read out during various sessions of the workshop by young women to highlight the issues confronting them on a daily basis illustrating the power of sensitivity that lies within every human being. Sharmila Bhagat was the principal resource person from Ankur Society for Alternatives in Education in Delhi. She conducted an intensive course along with Baby Tabbasum and Anandita Chakraborty, opening many window s inside and outside into the lies, feelings and minds of women, helping them find scripts within to share with the public. The workshop is the first stage towards a publication that will be produced nationally and regionally by the SAWN-Education Group, supported by Ankur and SAFED as a compilation of such narratives. During the workshop, Prof Janaki Rajan, Coordinator SAWN-Education Group, Honorary Director, Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women Studies, form Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi had extensive interaction with the Project Director Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme (PESRP), SAFMA/South Asia Policy Network Curriculum Wing of the Textbook Board Punjab, Directorate of Staff Development, Pakistan Coalition of Education, UNICEF, Action Aid, Human Development Foundation, Wasaib Traqiati Teachers Association and University of Education. She shared the complexities of curriculum reforms and textbook production embedded in the power of society to claim rights for unbiased learning where diversity of civilisations and plural cultures are celebrated. Professor Janaki shared the objectives of South Asian Women Network initiated by the Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi and invited Pakistani counterparts for exploring possibilities for faculty and students exchange programmes as well as joint degrees in education and women studies. Bela Raza Jamil, Coordinator SEFED, spearheaded the initiatives for the role out of the action plan agreed in Delhi at Jamia Millai University in March 2009 in Pakistan. She gave an assurance that the SAFED would remain committed to broadening partnerships across the region for exploring education challenges and learning solutions.