ISLAMABAD - Women leaders at a conference here Thursday vowed to tackle gender inequality in the country. During the concluding ceremony of the 17th Annual Rural Women Leadership Training Conference organized by PODA, Dr. Riina Kionka, the European Union Ambassador to Pakistan, announced a new €4 million project aimed at enhancing gender equality and supporting women’s political leadership in Pakistan. The initiative will focus on developing various aspects of leadership skills. In response to a question, she remarked, “After spending three years in Pakistan, I can now represent Pakistan on different EU platforms.” The EU Ambassador re-affirmed the representative women leaders that all EU projects are developed and designed to ensure 100 percent gender equality. Dr. Riina Kionka commended the women who are true ‘troublemakers’ in a positive tone, emphasizing the importance of questioning the status quo and pushing boundaries. She highlighted their resilience in challenging outdated norms, which drives meaningful change in the world. By pursuing their own aspirations, these women leaders empower others to do the same, fostering a more inclusive and cohesive society, she added.
Sharing insights from their youth, both Dr. Kionka and Marilina Armellin, the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, addressed the women leaders representing approximately 130 districts across four provinces, as well as AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. They discussed their experiences with stereotypical mindsets in their respective countries, highlighting how they overcame these challenges through determination and resilience. Emphasizing the urgent need to tackle gender-based inequalities worldwide, the Ambassador of Italy to Pakistan, assured the women leaders that half of the beneficiaries of their projects would be women. She noted that Italy is making significant strides in championing human rights. Reflecting on her childhood, she shared that even as a second-grade student, she was an effective negotiator, advocating for her classmates with the school administration. “I have two sons, and they have been taught to respect and empower women, as there is a pressing need to address the inequalities around us,” she added. Rakhshanda Naz, Ombudsman for workplace Harassment Prevention, KP said amid rising religious extremism the space for women is shrinking. She expressed concern that cases of sexual harassment mostly go unreported due to social and family pressures. She asked the rural women leaders to draft a strongly worded resolution and give it to her which she will be sending with her covering letter to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and other concerned officials. The women leaders present at the concluding ceremony gave standing ovation to ED-PODA Sameena Nazir for her untiring efforts to make the conference as successful event which allows women to interact with those who represent almost all districts of Pakistan. ED-PODA congratulated the women, saying, “We must continue to support and uplift these trailblazers as they lead the way toward a brighter future for all.”
Other speakers included Dilshad Bano, Minister of Social Welfare and Women Development; Rukhsana Parveen, from Legal Aid Society, Sindh; Asia Arif, Executive Director, SPARC; Christina, Director, UNESCO, Pakistan; Lehar Mirza, (from transgender community) Tahafuz Markaz, Rawalpindi; and Mehak Butt, home workers, Multan.
During a special session on the women’s rights to inheritance, Rukhsana Parveen Khokhar from The Legal Aid Society emphasized the importance of women asserting their rights to inheritance and claiming their rightful place in the society. She also shared that the Sindh Legal Advisory Call Center offers legal aid in family, criminal, and economic issues, facilitated by retired Supreme Court judges and experienced lawyers.
Women leaders who spoke on the occasion were Marvi Jamali, Khairpur, Sindh; Fatima Mental, Balochistan; Asifa Jamali, Naseer Abad, Balochistan; Amtul Aaleem Farooqi, Karachi; Fizza Kanwal, Quetta, Balochistan; Irshad Safdar, Kasur, Punjab” Khandana, Swabi, KP; Yasmeen Khakwani, Multan; Arooba, Kirk, KP; and Shaheen Akhter, Thatha, Sindh. Women leaders described the conference as a valuable opportunity to learn, build a broader network, and strengthen their collective efforts for progress, ultimately fostering a greater sense of sisterhood.
ED-PODA, Ms. Sameena Nazir invited women leaders to present the conference resolution which was passed by the women leaders unanimously. One of the resolutions passed was to end child marriages by ensuring a legal amendment to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls to 18 years across the country, including the Islamabad Capital Territory. The European Union Delegation to Pakistan, the Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, Care, Strengthening Participatory Organization, National Endowment for Democracy, SPARC, and CABI supported the three-day conference in Islamabad.