Women leaders demand financial support to homeworkers

Islamabad : Participants of the virtual seminar on ‘women’s vulnerabilities in the COVID-19 crisis’ urged the government to take urgent steps to financially support and facilitate the women in small businesses, trades and those who are home-based workers such as craftswomen, home-chefs and tailors. Before the Covid-19 crisis, they were self-supportive and financially over the poverty line. So they don’t fall in the destitute women criteria being served by the Essaas Programme.

Devcom-Pakistan (Development Communications Network) and DTN organized its weekly virtual seminar hero on Saturday. The panel included Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Member Rani Atiqa Ghazanfar, former MPA Khyber Pakhtukhwa and chief executive of the De lass Gul Meraj Hamyun Khan, Founder Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) Samina Fazil, former president Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPWCCI) Nasira Laghmani, Pakistan Tahreek e Insaaf MPA in the Punjab Assembly Shamim Aftab, senior journalist Tazeen Akhtar, Prof Dr AW Baloch and president Islamabad Rotary Club Raja Muhammad Shabbir.

Devcom-Pakistan and DTN Director Munir Ahmed introduced the topic and hosted the seminar. Rani Atiqa Ghazanfar said the mountain women are more vulnerable to the crisis. Locked down at their homes, they unable to take part any economic activity to share the burden with their men who are mostly daily wagers too. The government has collected the applications online but the financial assistance is not seen anywhere.

Most of the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) have received their pending dues under the Ehsaas programme but the rest of the people are still waiting for any support. She said tourism and handicrafts were the main source of income for the mountain communities. Both are suspended due to pandemic situation, leaving communities to starve. There is no adequate health system support from the federal government to test the natives coming back to their homes. Focus has been shifted to corona infections while the patients of other diseases are becoming more vulnerable due to no treatment at all.

Meraj Humayun Khan said the government should reach to the vulnerable communities. In this scenario, the government should take civil society organisations of repute and integrity to on board with the district management reach out the marginalized women.

Nasira Laghmani said the KPWCCI has the data of most of the women in business, trade and homework. Similarly, the IWCCI and other branches of the women chambers of commerce could also facilitate the government in reaching out the needy women in business and trade.

Samina Fazil said the IWCCI has reached out to Deputy Commissioner to Prime Minister to put up the case of women whose small businesses are shut down. Most of them are independent, single bread-earners for the families. Many are out of cash to pay the rent of their houses, shops and fees of their children. Lockdown or no lockdown, women shall be the priority of the government. Women owned shops should be facilitated to open their outlets with necessary equipment to take precautionary measures.

MPA Shamim Aftab mentioned that PTI workers are supporting the district management and government organizations to reach out the vulnerable communities. The volunteers are also collecting data of the needy and deserving people that are not served in the first phase of aid under the Ehsaas programme.

Senior journalist Tazeen Akhtar said “quite less number of women are affected from the coronavirus. However, domestic violence has increased against them due to stress and anxiety. Some have suicide out of depression and fear of hunger caused the pandemic. In the current situation, media is playing positive role in highlight the need and magnitude of the crisis.

Prof Dr AW Baloch highlighted the issue of salaries of visiting faculty members in the universities and other educational institutions. He said the education ministries and the High Education Commissions (HECs) should also announce funds for the non-regular teaching and non-teaching staff.