Islamabad:At the inaugural plenary of the 18th Rural Women Leadership Training Conference held at Lok Virsa here on Wednesday, PODA leader Bismillah Iram said despite losing everything in the recent floods, the hopes and dreams of rural women in Pakistan remained unshaken.
“With resilience, we stood firm to rebuild our lives. We thank PODA for supporting us in this journey. We, the village women, are the unsung heroes—protecting cities at the cost of our own lives and livelihoods,” she told participants.
The conference will conclude on Friday, 17 October. Sameena Nazir, Executive Director of PODA, welcomed over 500 women leaders from around 100 districts across Pakistan, including delegates from all four provinces—Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh—as well as from AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Harroona Jatoi, renowned educationist, and Mumtaz Eskar, members of PODA’s Board of Directors, also extended a warm welcome, acknowledging the vital role these women play in promoting community rights, social justice, and grassroots empowerment. Moazma Yousaf, representing NADRA, emphasized that identity is a vital contract between the state and its citizens, essential for accessing rights and services—especially during crises like floods. She highlighted NADRA’s efforts to improve birth registration through hospitals and primary healthcare systems.
While NADRA has achieved 98 percent identity coverage for adults over 18, child birth registration remains a challenge, with current coverage at 46 percent due to societal barriers. She stressed the importance of increasing registration, particularly for girls, and the critical role organizations like PODA play in this effort.
Iza Rajpar conveyed President Asif Ali Zardari’s message, reaffirming the PPP’s dedication to women’s empowerment, as envisioned by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, through initiatives like the Benazir Income Support Programme.
In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to Pakistan’s pioneering women leaders and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering rural women through education, healthcare, skills training, and sustainable livelihoods, acknowledging their vital role in national development.
Harroona Jatoi, renowned educationist, and Mumtaz Eskar, members of PODA’s Board of Directors, warmly welcomed the women leaders, recognizing their crucial roles in advancing community rights and empowerment.
Lok Virsa Executive Director Dr. Muhammad Waqas Saleem expressed his gratitude to the participants and highlighted the essential contributions of women to the country’s development and progress, emphasizing their role as drivers of national growth and empowerment.
Naheeda Abbasi, social activist, moderated a session on “Promoting the Right to Legal Identity for Women and Girls and Protection from Gender-Based Violence.”
The other speakers emphasised that legal identity – beginning with birth registration and a national identity card – is essential for accessing justice and securing fundamental rights. They also underscored the importance of birth registration and the issuance of identity cards as essential steps in ensuring legal identity and protecting women and girls from discrimination and violence.
Published in The NEWS on October 16, 2025.
