Islamabad: Director, Water, Food and Ecosystems, Country Representative, IWMI Director, Water, Food and Ecosystems, IWMI said at the ceremony that the primary objective is to work on gender equality. Until we invest in women, real development is unattainable in Pakistan. Empowering women is not only a choice, but also a prerequisite for progress and prosperity.” – The International Women’s Day seminar titled “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” has successfully concluded and is a major milestone on the road to gender equality and empowerment.
Designed to reflect this year’s theme, this key event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including donors, activists and community members, to highlight the importance of investing in women as a catalyst for sustainable development and societal transformation. The seminar began with a panel discussion on “Investing in Women – A Donor’s Perspective”, which featured insights from representatives of international organizations such as USAID, UKaid, the EU, the World Bank and AusAID.
This session shed light on the transformative impact of channeling resources towards women’s empowerment initiatives and a shared commitment to promote gender equality. The highlight of the event was the session on ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress – Amplify Women’s Voices’ which showcased the inspiring journeys of farmers from across Pakistan. Their stories, accompanied by compelling video presentations, served as evidence of women’s resilience and contribution to improving livelihoods and challenging gender norms.
An interactive theater session titled ‘Play Your Role’ provided an innovative platform for participants to engage with the theme of women’s empowerment and encouraged them to imagine and enact scenarios that promote gender equality. Ing. Ahmad Kamal, Chairman, Federal Flood Control Commission, Ministry of Water Resources drew on the example of Islam while emphasizing the importance of women and reminded the audience of Rasool Paak’s words about daughters.
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He quoted, “A man who has three daughters and brings them up well, ensures their proper upbringing and settles them in good households, will stand by my side in honor on the Day of Judgment.” In a comprehensive panel discussion on this key topic, the esteemed panel comprising Mr. Bilal Anwar, Director General of the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), Ms. Naghma e Tehniat Jerral, Economic Adviser from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Mr. Muhammad Nawaz, Development Specialist representing USAID/Pakistan.
Adding a valuable dimension to the conversation, women farmers from District Okara, District DI Khan and Tank, Bahawalpur also contributed their insights. The event not only celebrated the achievements of women, but also reiterated the commitment of IWMI and its partners to invest in women as a key strategy to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The seminar served as a call to action for all stakeholders to recognize the invaluable contribution of women and redouble efforts to remove barriers to their full participation in all spheres of life.
