Collaboration with Ehsaas Programme

Ehsaas Program - 10th December, 2021

On the 10th of December 2021, the National Commission on the Status of Women and the Ehsaas Programme organised an event at Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad. Ms. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, and Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson NCSW, both attended the event 'Humain Ehsaas hai Khawateen ka'. The event was part of a series commemorating the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which take place every year from November 25th to December 10th.

Women's empowerment via education as a means of combating violence against women was the focus of the event. It also aimed to promote the Ehsaas insert programme and enhanced coordination between government ministries for the development of Pakistani women.

Vice Chancellor Quaid-e-Azam University Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali, who was welcomed on stage for the welcoming address, emphasised the importance of creating a safer environment for women and girls to flourish in all fields. He went on to say that academically, girls outperform boys.

Moving on to the inaugural remarks, Chaiprerson NCSW Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar expressed her delight at returning to Quaid-e-Azam University, where she had previously studied. She went on to give a brief history of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, explaining how it is the most pervasive and least prosecuted crime in the world. She praised the Ehsaas program's unwavering efforts to improve the status of women in Pakistan.

Students who obtained Ehsaas scholarships and were able to pursue their ambitions of higher study were also featured during the occasion. One of the students described how the smooth application procedure enabled her to pursue her desire of further study and opened doors to achievement for not only herself but also for a number of other women.

Ms. Sania Nishar addressed the crowd at the concluding remarks, noting that violence is a reality for most women around the world, and the 16 Days of Activism remind us that it still exists. She went into detail about the Ehsaas scholarship programmes, which are 50 percent reserved for women to ensure gender equality.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Higher Education Commission, civic society, and academia attended the ceremony.