The academics have various views on the issue, but there is consensus that so called social, cultural and religious constraints are creating gender biases in the development agenda of the developing world. In addition, the reluctance of the political process to put the right effort and give priority to women in polices has been limited. In this article we will discuss in detail how women are suffering in developing countries, especially Pakistan and what role Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust (UK) is playing to provide relief to women, which will economically empower them to enhance their general welfare in society.
Women represent half of the world's population; gender inequality is a very common issue in every nation around the globe. There are 1.3 billion people who live in absolute poverty around the globe of which 70 percent are women. For these women, poverty does not equate scarcity and lack of resources. It means they have not been given the same rights and opportunities, as have men, for example women earn only 10 percent of the world’s income, which is primarily generated from low paid and low positioned jobs. In addition, cultural, social and so-called religious values propel limits of economic and social welfare. For instance, in various parts of the developing world, women have no rights to property or inheritance. Despite women's legal rights to own and inherit property from their families, there are very few women, for example in Pakistan whom have access and control over these resources. In Pakistan, women have voting rights and the country was ruled by a female Prime Minister in 1990s, however this is not conclusive that there is complete women empowerment and prosperity in the country.
Governments during all periods had tried in one form or the other to promote welfare for women, however this was unachievable due to gender bias development agenda. According to the 1999 report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, only 2% of Pakistani women participated in the formal economic sector. The rationale behind this low rate participation was the lack of educational opportunities for women in the country. Thus, lack of education and vocational technical training enforced women to stay away from the mainstream economic sector.
Women’s economic empowerment is central to gender equality and MDG achievement. Supporting women to start their own businesses, or expand existing ones, empowers them, which reduces inequality, thus stimulates economic growth. According to the Head of the UNDP Helen Clark, investing in women is key to achieve the ultimate development in the world. However, it has been identified by one report by Asian Development Bank that Pakistan invests far less in women than men.
Women in Pakistan suffer from poverty of opportunities throughout their lives. As of 2008, female literacy in Pakistan is 43.6% compared to male literacy at 68.2%. Although the current government is providing relief to poor women on one hand, it has however on the other been observed by many researchers that most of the policies used for the empowering women have very limited long term impact. For example, newly created “Benazir Income Support Programme” through which cash assistance of Rs.1000/ per month is provided to women from poor households. This direct disbursement of assistance to poor women provides relief, however only on a short-term basis. Whereas, the government cannot claim by giving aid to women is a real form of economic and social empowerment. This is a ‘quick fix’ solution and a short-term relief, but it does not make a real difference to women’s life as long-term investments is required in form of education and creation of new employment opportunities.
Many researchers have suggested various tools to achieve women economic empowerment in developing countries. However, there has always been consensus among the academics and the policy makers that education is a significant element to build progress towards the women economic and social welfare. According to the latest reports, two-thirds of the 880 million illiterate adults around the world are women; the gender gap increases at higher levels of education.
The desire to focus and devise strategies to enhance women’s role in decision-making and power sharing at various levels of the governmental process could only be materialised, if women have been given an equal chance to exploit educational and work opportunities. Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust (UK) is a registered charity and has been recently awarded the best charity in recognition of its restless services to the flood victims of Pakistan. The award was given by the department of peace and harmony in interfaith. The Chairman of AMWT Abdul Razzaq Sajid is exceedingly committed and sincere in providing relief to women of developing countries. Abdul Razzaq Sajid believes that women empowerment should be at the top of ‘alleviating poverty’ agenda. Thus, AMWT also recognises the importance of education as a main aspect of human security and as a means to empowering women. AMWT’s promotes access to high-quality education for women in various parts of the developing world. AMWT’s network of 100 schools in Pakistan, Kashmir and Bangladesh provides free education to rural areas, where government schools are not established. In research conducted many years ago by AMWTrecognised in rural areas, where girls can not attain quality education due to government schools located at far distances, forced parents unwillingly to allow their children to travel everyday on their own. Thus, AMWT started the Rural Girls Schools scheme in 1990s. This scheme so far has been very productive in providing education to more then 5,000 girls in various schools. AMWT (UK) is also working in partnership with various NGOs in supporting over 1,000 private schools to help flourish and groom them in rural areas. AMWT has recently opened a Al-Mustafa Model School in Sibi; the most deprived area of the Baluchistan. This project is providing free education to almost 200 girls, as well as free uniform and free books.
Why do researchers and policy advisors enforce the significance of education in the development agenda of the developing countries?
It has been suggested, by providing education to the women one can achieve the following objectives in the welfare of women:
· Education helps to attain economic empowerment;
· Economic empowerment gives them self-confidence, which helps them to obtain a voice in household decisions such as domestic well-being decisions;
· It also helps them to decide fertility decisions;
· Education gives them awareness to demand their civil, political, and economical rights;
· Educated women can live a healthy lifestyle and maintain this throughout the household.
The core objective in policy agenda should be to provide them opportunities to participate in the mainstream of the economic sector. However, AMWT is doing its best to fill the gaps in women welfare left by the public sector. The Chairman of AMWT also believes that there is a dire need to explore innovative ways to overcome the formidable obstacle to the empowerment of women and gender equality.
Abdul Razzaq Sajid disagrees with the idea of providing formal education to women would be enough to achieve women empowerment. Abdul Razzaq Sajid believes that women should be given technical and vocational training, which enable them to earn their livelihoods. The Chairman also argued that formal education in developing countries is creating graduate unemployment, because formal education only teaches how to work in an office and a corporate environment, but does not teach skills of how to earn a livelihood. The Chairman is of the view that the current trends regarding women development are not that satisfactory and could only be reversed by investing in the economic empowerment of women through vocational and industrial training, which will help them to set-up a small business.
Abdul Razzaq Sajid mentioned that AMWT has opened various vocational centres in Pakistan and Kashmir in 2011. One vocational centre costs £2,000, which provides the training of copious skills to 300 women for two months. After the two-month period, women would be able to create their own small business with the help of AMWT funding and start earning for their families. One vocational centre was opened in Kashmir (Wadi Lepa) and the second one was established in Rawalpindi. This project has earned tremendous appreciation among the community and from various international donor agencies. The Chairman of AMWT has said that there are two hundred donors interested in supporting this project and many among them are from the various areas of Kashmir. The project itself is very appealing and resounds long-term productivity. AMWT intends to build 1,000 industrial homes and vocational training centres in seven poor countries. This project would help to open the doors for women welfare and economic empowerment in the region.
Apart form providing education and vocational training AMWT also ensures that women in the society have not been marginalised in other basic facilities of life. For instance, AMWT has provided free Maternal Emergencies to 6,500 women in its network of 13 hospitals in various areas of Pakistan during 2010. In addition, over 30,000 women have been provided relief with free medical camps in Pakistan, Kasmir and Nigeria. Furthermore, 2,000 vulnerable and elderly women have been provided with free ambulance service to help them to reach hospital.
The list of services for women in society by AMWT is exhaustive, for instance 150 women have benefited from the mass wedding scheme for poor women in rural areas of Punjab. This scheme pays for all the expenses of the wedding and helps them to start their nuptial life.
AMWT is deeply committed to play its vital role to improve the lives of poor masses in more then seven underdeveloped countries in the world. AMWT also believes women’s empowerment is a tremendous resource for social change and a prerequisite in the broader fight against global poverty. For this reason, AMWT ensures women are at the top of its development and relief projects agenda in the developing world. AMWT has ensured that women, children, elderly, the poor and marginalised people are at the top agenda of its health services in its hospitals as well as in the free filed medical camps.
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