Daily Times

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) on Saturday organised 10th Amtul Raqeeb Awards ceremony to recognize the contribution of female community leaders in their self and community economic development in connection with International Women’s Day 2023.

This award has been conferred upon seven recipients, who availed PPAF-supported initiatives for their self-advancement and becoming an inspiration for the overall socio-economic development in their respective areas. The PPAF Amtul Raqeeb Awards which is an annual event of the PPAF is a token of honour 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 far-flung areas, these community leaders emerged as a role model for other women and girls in their localities. The PPAF held the first Amtul Raqeeb Award ceremony in 2012. Hailing from different regions of the country, Hadeeqa Babar Masih from Muslim Bagh, Balochistan, Samavia Asif from Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Amna Bibi from Mianwali, Punjab, Mahjabeen from Bahawalpur, Punjab, Almas Haider, from Karachi, Sindh, 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. Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety’s Secretary Ghufran 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. PPAF Chief Operating Officer Nadir Gul Barech 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.” Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Kashif Anwar was of view that no society could make real progress without ensuring inclusive development. He said the LCCI would lend it’s all out support to any initiative that will be aiming to promote women empowerment in the country.

Akhuwat Foundation Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib 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. Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) Director Corporate Affairs Reema Qureshi 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. PPAF Chairperson Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, in her concluding remarks of the event said it is heartening to see the women and girls in Pakistan were 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.