A “charter of demands” was presented to Minister Environment Protection Zakia Shah Nawaz in convention of rural women farmers from five districts of Punjab organized by Oxfam Pakistan and Indus Consortium. Approval of the Climate Change Policy with proper resource distribution for smallholder women farmers and their involvement in budget making demanded in charter.
Civil society organizations, government officials, environmentalists, academia, corporate entities, and development organizations have attended the convention. Minister Zakia Shah Nawaz said regarding charter of demands that female farmers significantly contributing towards economy of Pakistan.
Government is investing heavily in educating our rural youth to know their rights on orders of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif she added. Female farmers from rural districts of Punjab demanded crop protection against the climate change and natural disaster and urged for safeguarding actions.
They additionally asked that government should make available excellent quality seeds for improved crops, loans to small female farmers on easy installments and enough allocation for agriculture in the provincial budget.
Participants were welcomed and encouraged to support rural women farmers by Oxfam’s Programme Director Javeria Afzal.
Women’s convention served as a platform to Punjab’s women farmers to share their concerns and demands to government to answer efficiently and systemically to domestic climate change threats and to incorporate women in budget of provincial government.
“Hashoo Group is foundation to permit young women and men, women farmers and producers by inclusive series of rural development approaches. We have faith in utilizing local knowledge with scientific research for the advantage of rural communities,” said Dr. Ayesha Khan, Country Director, Hashoo Foundation.
More investment in small-scale agriculture, particularly women contributing to food security. Agriculture should be remade along various lines and poor farmers in developing countries rolled out integral to that change. Moderated by Fiza Qureshi, Program Manager, Indus Consortium, the concluding session was chaired by Dr. Ayesha Khan, Country Director, Hashoo Foundation while Saadia Sohail, Member Provincial Assembly, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, Faiza Ahmed, MPA from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Saira Iftikhar, MPA from PML-N were the panelists.