BISP to establish sustainable social structure for beneficiaries

Islamabad: To discuss empowerment of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) women beneficiaries by establishing a sustainable local level social mobilisation structure and coordination channel between BISP and its beneficiaries, a meeting of stakeholders on women empowerment through social mobilisation was held at BISP Headquarters on Friday.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon and attended by Steve Gluning, Deputy Country Director World Food Programme, Khaleel Tetlay Chief Operating Officer RSPN, Aleena Khan Alif Ailaan and representatives from NRSP, RSPN, UN Women, Population Council, Aurat Foundation, Bedari, MMP, Acid Survivors Foundation, PODA and BISP officials.

Director Waseela-e-Taleem Naveed Akbar gave a detailed presentation to audience on empowerment initiative of BISP through BBCs. The social mobilization is the empowerment initiative of BISP. It is based on private-public partnership with a shared vision of co-responsibility to engage and empower BISP women beneficiaries for creating awareness on their social rights. BISP has constituted over 62,000 BISP beneficiary committees (BBCs) covering around 1.1 million beneficiaries in 32 districts of the country for their capacity building and awareness on women empowerment through regular face-to-face communication, using local social mobilization structures and coordinated efforts of different stakeholders.

In her opening remarks, Chairperson BISP said that BISP, the custodian of 5.4 million vulnerable women is the central point for women empowerment in the country. BISP has embarked upon a silent revolution by empowering women socially, politically and financially through capacity building and raising awareness on issues of vital importance among its beneficiary community through the platform of BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs). Through this empowerment initiative, BISP mobilises and educates its  beneficiaries on children education, women rights, nutrition, mother and child health, sanitation, basic finance, entrepreneurship ; thus empowering them to make better informed decisions.

Steve Gluning Deputy Country Director World Food Programme said that collaboration with BISP on nutrition trainings for BBCs has been great success. The technical advice from WFP on nutrition is a first step towards much deeper partnership.

The stakeholders discussed adopting multidimensional and inclusive approach by partnering with different organizations and linkage of different empowerment forums so that impact of the efforts could be amplified.

Highlighting the achievements of mobilisation through BBCs, the chairperson said that BISP has trained 62,000 women leaders so far. The mobilization has resulted in enhanced women’s mobility, confidence, better communication skills and primary school retention rate with a decline in school dropout rates of their children. She added that to make women empowerment a reality, all stakeholders should join hands with BISP to further gains in the area of women empowerment.