Women’s empowerment initiative launched

Cosmetics multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced the launch of their gender equality initiative under the hashtag #weseeequal at a formal ceremony at a local hotel on Thursday.

In this initiative, P&G has partnered with Health-Oriented Preventive Education (HOPE) and UN Women for women’s skill development and girls’ education.

Speaking as chief guest, Senator Khushbakht Shujaat said that Pakistan’s biggest problem was the feudal mindset which held sway over society. This mindset, she said, existed even in big, cosmopolitan cities like Karachi.

“Men feel inferior to a woman who’s economically superior,” she said.

However, she said Pakistani women were highly resilient and despite the handicaps today we found women in each and every sphere of activity. “However, we still have a long way to go.”

There should be a 50 per cent employment quota for women in the corporate sector, she said. “Education is vital and everybody has the right to quality education.”

In this regard, she lauded the partnership of HOPE and UN Women in helping P&G shoulder the burden of creating educational and employment opportunities for women.

Earlier, Sami Ahmed, vice-president, P&G (Pakistan), said, “We are pleased to continue our work to empower women in communities with the help of our partners, HOPE and UN Women.”

This, he said, was another step in our endeavour to build a society free of gender bias and a society where men and women were absolutely equal, in our workplace, in our communities, and in our society.

Citing figures, he said that according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) gender gap index, Pakistan was 143rd out if a total of 144 with the overall literacy rate among girls in the country being 46 per cent.

He announced the launch of another long-term partnership with HOPE which involved the opening of seven vocational training centres and provision of quality education to women and girls in semi-urban and rural areas.

Besides, he said, P&G was collaborating with UN Women to provide 50 women’s centres for skill development and financial literacy training to help them set up small-scale business ventures in the Sialkot district of Punjab.

Dr Mobina Abgoatwala, chairperson, HOPE, said, “We aim at refining working women. Earning capability increases a woman’s respect and decision-making.”

She said they would be shifting the emphasis from primary to secondary education as once the girls passed their matriculation, they became more articulate and confident.

The UN Women Pakistan’s head of communications, strategic management partnerships unit, Fariha Salman, said, “UN Women (Pakistan) is committed to engaging with the private sector to bring about change that advances women’s equality and economic empowerment.”

She said that UN Women’s partnership with P&G extended to most of the country now, which also involved assisting women in Sialkot.

She said that the emphasis would be on micro and small-sized enterprises. She called upon other private sector organisations to join this movement.