ISLAMABAD, Jan 31 (APP):Begum Samina Arif Alvi Monday said women should be given equal rights so that goals of sustainable development could be achieved.
Speaking at an event organized by Engro Pakistan to acknowledge and honour women farmers, she said she was proud of women agro entrepreneurs and lauded them for their courage for breaking barriers and setting up businesses despite all odds.
She appreciated Engro Pakistan for helping in efforts to empower women.
Begum Samina noted that women empowerment was important for a society’s progress, adding women were a symbol of a changing and prosperous Pakistan.
She emphasized that girls should be educated, adding women were striving hard and were becoming economically independent due to their strenuous efforts.
She underlined the need to create more opportunities for women and give them all facilities like education and health.
She said women could achieve financial independence by moving ahead and getting training in fields like livestock management and dairy development.
Women in rural areas could increase their incomes which would help their children in getting better education and food, she added.
She said women were doing more work than men in the livestock sector and all could benefit from their expertise and health of animals could be improved.
She said women were very talented and they should be encouraged to take advantage of the initiatives such as the one taken by Engro Pakistan.
Talking about her efforts to empower women, she said her endeavours were focused on reviving the traditional art of embroidery.
“We are making effort to revive embroidery and promote talented women and introduce their embroidery at the international level.”
She said women were half of the population of the country and were a great asset for achieving economic growth.
She said President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan always supported and encouraged women and the government passed laws of inheritance so women could get property rights.
She said she was leading the efforts on improving lives of differently abled persons and urged civil society to contribute to women empowerment projects and improve conditions of special people.
She said Pakistani women had proved themselves in every field including politics and education.
Minister for Food Security Fakhar Imam admired the rural female farmers who set a new path for young women who wanted to enter the field of livestock and farming.
Earlier a panel discussion with female farmers from Punjab and Sindh was held and the panelists shared their experience on their journey of financial empowerment.
President Food and Beverage Friesland Campina Roel Neerbos said their goal was to develop dairy sector in Pakistan so that farmers could get better quality milk from cows.
He said the rural women entrepreneurs who participated in the event would inspire other women to join the field of livestock.
He said his company was guided by sustainable development goals including elimination of hunger and giving every one equal chances in life especially to female gender.
Managing Director Friesland Campina Engro Pakistan Ali Ahmed Khan told about the efforts made by Engro Pakistan to empower women so that they could improve their lives.
He said Pakistan needed to address issues of stunting in people and improve animal yields and dairy sector.
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