The celebrations for International Women Day 2024 in Pakistan took place through various events involving the Headquarters and some project partners.
The Italian contribution to the multi-donor Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) program was 40 million euros and concerned infrastructure, health and social protection, with interventions from 2013 to 2021. But the PPAF also addresses the condition of women and this This year it organized a National Conference on Economic Empowerment, with the aim of highlighting the importance of guaranteeing business opportunities for Pakistani women entrepreneurs. Awards and honors were given to women leaders of artisan businesses such as textiles and jewelery but also school managers, who distinguished themselves during the economic support activities provided by the project; further awards to female excellence were awarded during the conference. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Director General of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), effectively summarized the significance of the event: “We cannot achieve equality without ensuring equal opportunities in education, health and work. Women must not be afraid and have the right to follow their dreams, equipping themselves with the necessary skills to become leaders and contribute to social well-being.”
AICS Islamabad also participated in a seminar organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Pakistan, with a focus on women’s working conditions and compliance with international standards. The seminar illustrated the contents of Convention n. 190 of the ILO, which actively intends to eliminate all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, and then specifies which legislative interventions are necessary for full implementation of the Convention in Pakistan. From the vast audience of participants, ILO requested a common advocacy commitment at national institutions to support the application of this important convention.
On the internal training front, AICS Islamabad has organized an information session in recent weeks on the topic of gender equality and social inclusion in the implementation of development cooperation projects. The staff of the Headquarters was thus able to learn both about the priorities for gender equality, proposed by Italy for the Presidency of the G7, and to receive indications regarding prejudices and cultural stereotypes to be taken into consideration in the various phases of the project cycle, with the the aim of making gender mainstreaming an increasingly central cross-cutting component.
The indicators relating to Pakistan are worrying and require a joint effort of all the staff of the AICS Islamabad Headquarters to fight the growing gender gap, which places Pakistan in 142nd place out of 146 according to the Global Gender GAP Report drawn up by the World Economic Forum, which photographs the state of gender equality according to 4 categories (economy, health, education and public participation).
