BISP Launches Women Empowerment Initiative

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Feb, 2017 ) : Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Friday launched women empowerment initiative for training of beneficiaries. The training programme launched by chairperson BISP, Marvi Memon in a meeting of BISP beneficiaries with World Bank Group staff, a press release said.

Marvi said BISP is the prime women empowerment platform, taking lead in empowering its women financially, socially and politically. The World Bank delegation consisted of Senior Director Gender Caren Grown, Practice Manager Social Development David Seth Warren and Senior Social Development Specialist Helene Carlsson.

In presence of beneficiaries from all across Sindh, special training material on women empowerment was unveiled. Under this empowerment initiative, women will be educated through awareness utilizing the platform of BISP Beneficiary Committees (BBCs).

The training would educate beneficiaries in basic counting, use of ATMs, Biometric Verification System (BVS) for payment, National Socio Economic Registry (NSER), nutrition, health and their rights.

The women would be educated on their rights and privilege as per the Islamic principles leading to truly Islamic Society. Senior Director Gender World Bank Caren Grown interacted with beneficiaries and stated that the BISP's agenda of financial inclusion and women empowerment is commendable as it would bring sustainable development in Pakistan by streamlining its more than half of the population.

Director General BISP Tariq Mahmood highlighted the contributions of the BISP to women empowerment in Pakistan as recorded in third impact evaluation report on BISP.

He said the BISP brought 5.4 million women voters on electoral list by providing them CNICs.

In 2011 just 40 per cent of women in beneficiary households were likely to vote whilst in 2016 this number has risen to 70 per cent showing massive change in implementation of democratic rights.

Financial and social inclusion of women has improved as 76 per cent of women retain full control on their stipend. As a result of the BISP support, there has been increase in financial savings from 9 per cent to 13 per cent, drop in poverty by 7 per cent, poverty gap by 3 per cent and decrease in malnutrition of girls.

The chairperson added that 91 per cent of the beneficiaries are either ultra poor or poor with low literacy rate of only 9 per cent. In this scenario, the BISP's 55,000 BBCs are the goldmine women empowerment platform, that is working to enhance financial social empowerment, eliminate violence bringing a real women revolution in line with tenants of islam.

The BISP beneficiaries highlighted that stipend helps to sustain their lives as it is spent on food and health. The beneficiaries who had started their businesses benefiting from the Prime Minister Interest Free Loan (PMIFL) thanked the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for his pro-poor policies. Around 50,000 beneficiaries have benefited from PMIFL.