QUETTA: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Women Development, Nilofar Bakhtiar on Sunday inaugurated Rs 40 million women empowerment project in Balochistan at Gwadar.
Jafakash Aurat Supporting Skills and Mirco Enterprises Development Project would be implemented by the federal government through Khushhali Bank. Speaking as the chief guest, Nilofar said that women would be imparted training in different skills at vocational and technical training centres under this project.
They would also be extended soft loans for establishing their own business during next three years, she added. "The governments in the past always neglected women and took no step for their welfare and empowerment. It is the present government which has launched various projects to empower women and provide them equal opportunities like men in every field of life", she said. She assured that the project would also be launched in other parts of Balochistan shortly.
Addressing on the occasion, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousaf thanked the federal government for paying special attention to development of the province and urged the President Khushhali Bank to open branches of the bank in all districts of the province.
He described the poverty and disparity as the root causes of social evils and requested Nilofar Bakhtiar to highlight the problems of Balochistan in Islamabad so that the federal government could take appropriate measures for their solution. Jam also stressed that jobs for the locals should be guaranteed in the development projects being launched in Gwadar. He urged the Gwadar people to cooperate with the government for successful completion of all the projects.
Speaking on the occasion, President Khushali Bank Ghalib Nishtar has said micro-credit to women in Balochistan is on the rise as the bank has disbursed Rs 250 million in the province so far.
The bank is providing access to sustainable micro-finance services to the poor and assist them in enhancing their income earning capacity, he said. Women’s role has always been critical to economic development particularly in rural areas especially due to their significant contribution within the household.
The bank has covered 11 districts in the province and providing services to its clients through branches in Barkhan, Zhob, Loralai, Pishin, Quetta, Mastung, Sibi, Jafferabad, Naseerabad, Sanjawi, and Gwadar.
Consequently, it has prioritised its investment in strengthening services catering to women and intends to launch a focused vocational skills enhancement project for the area along with other collaborative initiatives with stakeholders. The bank was established to compliment the Government’s comprehensive strategy to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth.
Provincial Minister for Labour and Manpower Maulana Faiz Mohammad, Social Welfare Minister Begum Perveen Magsi and Federal Secretary Women Development Sohail Safdar also spoke on the occasion. Later, Nilofar Bakhtiar and Jam Mohammad Yousaf distributed cheques and certificates among women for starting work in various sectors. |
