Women Role in Community Development

By Mah Para & Ali Khan

If we have a glance over the history, we will come to know that behind every successful man is a woman. Women have been regarded as fragile part of the society but they can play a very important role for the betterment of the society. This fragile part has proved her dominating on many occasions in the history. Ms. Fatima Jinnah being a woman stood side by side with Quaid-e-Azam in organizing and bringing Muslim women together on a single platform to be united for the creation of Pakistan.

Mrs. Rana Liaqat Ali Khan is another lady who raised her voice for preserving the rights of the women in Pakistan. She took start from a single city and spread out in all over the country.

The same case can be found in program area of HDF in Mardan Region. Ms. Jamal Bibi is the resident of the Village Akbar Abad. She is 38 years of age having four children. The husband of Jamal bibi is a building material dealer having his shop in the village.

She was working in her village as teacher of National Commission for Human Development Adult literacy. HDF had already its existence in the area in the field of micro credit and non-formal education. HDF was facing lots of difficulties while interacting with the female members of the community. Most of the people of the area had wrong perception about NGOs. To combat this ideology, this was necessary to concentrate on the people and educate them and bring them round regarding the role and acceptance of the NGOs. The task was really difficult on the female side.

Ms. Jamal Bibi visited HDF office and called on the concerns and demanded for the HDF activities in her area. She also urged to work as activist and persuade the female community members to welcome HDF in the area. She would go house to house and motivate the people and it was all because of her sincere efforts that HDF formed a DO in the village of Akbar Abad. The people trusted her and made her DO Secretary.

She was the first member in Akbar Abad DO that took loan from HDF of Rs. 20000. This move also activated rest of the members of the DO and they also took Credit from the HDF and started businesses with that and some also invested in running business successfully. She also motivated the members of the female DO to generate savings in DO accounts and as a result total saving generated so far is Rs. 6000/-. The number of DOs also rose to three from one as people of other localities also inspired and formed their Dos.

Jamal Bibi is also a good idea creator. She took credit from HDF for her husband who is running Shitring business (Building Material) and invested credit in that. As a result the business flourished and now he is earning a reasonable profit out of that making it easy for them to pay credit installments and also meeting other necessities of daily life. She is also providing quality education to her children and is leading a comfortable life.

Jamal Bibi’s second accomplishment is the establishment of Basic Garment Training Center and combining three DO,s of the area to come and get skill enhancement training there. Before there used to be separate Training Center for each DO and separate trainer/consultant likewise. This was not a cost effective approach. HDF decided to motivate these DO,s and establish a single training center for them.

Along with Female Social Organizers of HDF, Jamal bibi spared no efforts to persuade members of DO to prepare for establishment of a single training center where they would get quality skills from well versed resource persons. HDF is now working with single center in Akbar Abad, which is much cost effective than establishing three with trainers in each.

If every man and woman think like Jamal Bibi and cooperate with the developmental organizations in the area then no doubt much of the issues and problems will be solved on self help basis; the children brought up in the laps of the women like these, would be a natural thinker to solve problems of the area on their own; and finally these areas would flourish socially and economically and overall the country will get prosperity.

It should be taken kind notice of that the people like these who are active to pave way for the smooth running of the Development Organizations activities should be given prizes so that other people of the community should get lesson and begin to cooperate in the same way.

Jamal Bibi , secretary of the DO in Village Akbar Abad, is surrounded by DO member in a meeting.