Collaboration stressed for sustainable progress

CHITRAL: Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP), with financial aid from the Canadian government, organised an informative tour for government officials and civil society activists from Lower and Upper Chitral to Gilgit and Hunza.

The five-day tour, organised under the Foundation for Health and Women Empowerment Project, was aimed to raise awareness of social, economic, and political issues to empower women in various aspects of life.

The delegation from Chitral engaged with government and non-government officials, addressing current challenges. Addressing the participants at Corps Office Gilgit, AKRSP gender specialist Sausan Aziz, manager MNE Zeeshan, Farida Naz, and others said that the AKRSP had been working in the social and economic development sector, focusing on women’s empowerment for the past 40 years.

The delegation stressed the need for collaborative efforts in underdeveloped regions for sustainable progress. Secretary of Social Welfare, Population Welfare, Women Development, Human/Child Rights, and Youth Affairs, Fida Hussain, commended the services of Aga Khan Development Network for women’s empowerment in Gilgit-Baltistan. He highlighted the importance of providing technical training to women in various trades, encouraging entrepreneurship, and ensuring financial independence.

The delegation also visited Hunza’s famous Altit Fort, Attabad Lake, and other sites.The first female carpenter from Hunza, Amina Bibi, Agha Khan’s regional program officer Saima Bibi, and Amjad Nadim, the foundation CEO, also addressed the participants.