HYDERABAD: Women participants at a seminar have demanded the Government to take interest in the welfare and protection of women peasants and workers, and devise a mechanism in the agriculture sector to ensure at least provision of Rs.32000 minimum wage in the province.
They said this at a seminar organized by Hari Welfare Association on the inauguration of the women peasant literary centre in Matiari district.
This is one of the out of 12 basic literacy centres HWA has set up for rural peasants women in the district Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar and Matiari of the province.
On the occasion, Akram Khaskheli, President HWA said that a significant number of rural women face challenges in understanding medicine expiry dates, lacking literacy skills to read and write, struggling to lodge complaints on online platforms, and facing difficulties in reading signboards, among other limitations.
They also have an understanding of the calculation to ensure that they have received at least the promised wages by the con
tractors.
He said that one of the reasons for debt bondage peasants including women do not know how much loan they took from contractors, landlords or brick kiln owners; whereas, these influential people continue to increase loan money on peasants and workers without their understanding of calculations.
He said that 600 rural peasant women who are also members of Women’s Trade Unions in these districts have been enrolled; they will be provided basic education, life skills, and awareness of social, economic, and political rights.
Khaskheli added that in a four-month literacy course, the participants would have a context-specific curriculum including literacy (Sindhi and English), numeracy, and essential life skills under the supervision of Female Community Teachers.
In addition to academic education, the centres would also conduct awareness programs on labour rights and various existing laws which protect women agricultural workers.
He said that by completing a literacy program 600 women would be able to
read and write basics in their daily lives, such as the price of commodities, and expiry dates, and they could negotiate fair and unfair wages.
He added further that the program would engage 500 literacy trainees for income-generating projects through skills development and entrepreneurship training, and linkages to relevant market opportunities to make a sustainable contribution to their household income.
Speaking at the event Social Organizer Yasmin Tariq said that the problem of peasant women is not only getting employment but unfair wages and lack of facilities at the workplace.
She hoped that the literacy program would overcome the issue of unfair wages and urged that childcare, healthcare facilities and occupational safety need to be provided to them.
Taking an opportunity to share their emotions, Ms. Jaamul – An enrolled trainee of village Sher Khan Malokhani said that she would hold the pen first ever and this literacy program would resolve many issues in her life with each step forward.
She also
added that she was one step closer to realizing her dreams and shaping the destiny she had always meant to have.