Lahore: In connection with the International Women’s Day 2023, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) organised 10th Amtul Raqeeb Awards ceremony to recognize the contribution of female community leaders in their self and community economic development. This award has been conferred upon seven recipients, who availed PPAF-supported initiatives for their self-advancement and becoming inspiration for the overall socio-economic development in their respective areas.
The PPAF Amtul Raqeeb Awards which is an annual event of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund is a token of honor and recognition of the resilient and hardworking women from PPAF’s programme areas. These exceptional women have exhibited a great deal courage and worked tirelessly for the wellbeing of their families and local communities. Despite facing various adversities including female specific mobility related challenges in in the far-flung areas, these community leaders emerged as a role model for other women and girls in their localities.
PPAF held the first Amtul Raqeeb Award ceremony in 2012. Hailing from different regions of the country, Ms Hadeeqa Babar Masih from Muslim Bagh, Balochistan, Samavia Asif from Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Ms Amna Bibi from Mianwali, Punjab, Ms Mahjabeen from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Ms Almas Haider, from Karachi, Sindh, Ms Farzana Memon, from Matiari, Sindh, and Amna Bibi Dera Ismael Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the winners of this year’s Amtul Raqeeb Award as a recognition of their hard work and determination to achieve economic empowerment despite facing all kinds of societal odds. On the occasion, interest free loan cheques were also distributed amongst the beneficiaries under Government of Pakistan funded Interest Free Loan (IFL) Programme which is being implemented by PPAF.
Mr Ghufran Secretary, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety, lauded the efforts of PPAF to uplift the communities with inclusive approach and benefitting women and girls through its diverse interventions. He suggested that the development sector organizations need to come up with such growth models that may contribute to women empowerment besides reducing poverty in the country.
Mr Nadir Gul Barech, COO, PPAF, said, “The women leaders that received awards today have shown remarkable resilience and have become the role models for others to achieve economic empowerment. Opening the avenues for new income generating opportunities, especially for the economically vulnerable segments of society including women always remained one of the key focused areas for PPAF while its interventions including the provision of interest free loans, asset transfers, and skill development are promoting inclusive economic growth in the underprivileged communities,” he added.
Mr Kashif Anwar, President, Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), was of view that no society could make real progress without ensuring inclusive development. He said that Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) would lend it’s all out support to any initiative that will be aiming to promote women empowerment in the country.
Dr Amjad Saqib, Chairman, Akhuwat Foundation, asserted that quality education and access to employment opportunities are imperative to ensure women’s social and economic empowerment. Keeping the importance of this task in view, broader collaboration between the stakeholders including the government and civil society is the urgent need of the hour.
Ms Reema Qureshi, Director Corporate Affairs, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA informed the participants about a number of initiatives including skill enhancement training that are inclusive and designed to create income generating opportunities for women and girls.
Ms Erfa Iqbal, Commissioner-Inland Revenue (IR), Ms Sughra Sadaf, Director General, Punjab Institute of Language, Art, and Culture (PILAC), Mr Muhammad Tahseen, Executive Director, SAP-PK, Mr Alamdar Hussain Shah, President, New York Chamber of Small Businesses, Ms Kanwal Liaqat, former MPA
Ms Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Chairperson PPAF, in her concluding remarks of the event said it is heartening to see the women and girls in Pakistan are making their marks in every field of life. These resilient women would lead to a much-needed socio-economic development in the country, especially in the far-flung areas, she added.
PPAF instituted the award in recognition of courage of Amtul Raqeeb, a programme officer at PPAF’s partner organization Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), Quetta. Amtul was tragically killed and embraced Shahaadat along with two other colleagues, on the way back to Quetta after performing her duties in Mastung on January 24, 2011.
Ends.
