KARACHI: The Sindh Commission on Status of Women (SCSW) formally launched its second three-year Strategic Plan (2022-2024) during a ceremony at which speakers highlighted key achievements from the first plan, and discussed new resolutions here on Thursday.

The new plan lays out critical pathways to build on previous gains to efficiently and effectively deliver on mandate provided in SCSW Act, 2015, i.e. promotion of social, economic, political, and legal rights of women in Sindh in accordance with international declarations, conventions, treaties, covenants and agreements relating to women.

SCSW Chairperson Nuzhat Shirin, thanking the participants from a wide array of stakeholders, including legislators, development partners, civil society organisations, members of the commission, government functionaries and journalists, asserted that the commission has accomplished a lot despite administrative and financial challenges for the women of Sindh, as well as transgender segment, persons with disabilities and members of minorities.

She particularly thanked the Sindh government for continually supporting the commission despite its limitations. She also thanked TDEA-FAFEN (Trust for Democratic Education-Free and Fair Election Network) for providing technical assistance for finalising the strategic plan for the next three years.

SCSW presents strategic plan for women’s uplift

Rashid Chaudhry from TDEA-FAFEN, presenting key achievements of the commission’s first strategic plan, highlighted the impact of reviews of laws and bills by the commission and policy interventions during Covid-19 lockdown, where it promptly acted to ensure vaccination of women, who did not have NICs, and reinstatement of women workers laid off by industries and commercial establishments.

Chaudhry also laid out objectives and key strategic pillars of the new plan emphasising that it proactively prioritises the economic empowerment of women in Sindh.

Global Affairs Canada Head of Mission and Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Wendy Gilmour delivered the keynote address. She spoke on women empowerment and learning from Canadian experience.

Highlighting the issues of women, she underlined harms of child marriage and necessity of a multisectoral approach, and said women voices needed male champions.

Provincial Minister for Women Development Shehla Raza assured the commission of Sindh government’s continual support to the commission. She said that the institutions need human resources where the commission, despite hurdles, had been working effectively.

The Sindh women development department and the commission have been working in close coordination for women as opposed to other provinces. She appreciated the SCSW chairperson for working closely with different communities in Sindh. “We, as part of the government of Sindh, want to become a bigger part of the legislation process,” she said.

Published in Dawn,June 17th, 2022