‘’My father tried to kill me’’, admitted Fazeela before hundreds of guests as she broke down in tears while telling her story. A deafening silence prevailed as most of the elites gathered in the five-star hotel room barely noticed when she had walked to the podium.
Clad in Kameez Shalwar and a dupatta over her head, Fazeela, then paused to take a deep breath and pluck up courage. Now, with firm determination, she faced the audience again.
‘’Till I was six, my father didn’t know my gender. Fearing his rage, my mother had somehow hidden the fact that I was transgender. That fateful day, my mother saved my life and continued to feed me as my father would not even allow me to eat a chapati, Fazeela continued.
Fazeela then narrated how she would walk four kilometres a day to learn some art while remaining starved.
She was addressing the ‘’Shevolution 2.0’’ conference & exhibition organised by Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry Korangi, Karachi.
The two-day moot was held in collaboration with Germany and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) under PAIDAR -the Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development drive across Rural Sindh. The European Union (EU) and some other organisations had also played a role.
The audience was informed that thanks to PAIDAR, Fazeela is now successfully running a milk shop in Noor Khan Laghari town in Ghotki district. Those who would call names respect her more than her father. And she advises transgender individuals on opening businesses.
The Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Karachi, Thomas H Schultz, inaugurated Shevolution 2.0.
‘’It’s not just a conference or a slogan, it is a movement that celebrates the talent, the courage and the determination of Pakistani women who are leading businesses, innovating in technology, shaping culture and driving social change’’ remarked Shultz.
He said, ‘’When women are given equal access to education, to finance and to opportunity, entire communities rise with them.”
In his keynote address, National Program Coordinator UNIDO, Badar ul Islam explained how the United Nations was helping women in Sindh to gain literacy and develop business ideas.
‘’More than 100 women-led enterprises have received over 200 million rupees of grants to start their businesses and to run them properly. By supporting Shevolution 2.0, we are taking another step toward our shared vision, a future where women entrepreneurs across Sindh are empowered and recognised. PAIDAR and UNIDO remain committed to building such partnerships where women support women’.’
CEO Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF), Investment Department Government of Sindh, Khizer Parvez also spoke on the occasion.
‘’The Sindh government is providing a thirty-five million rupees grant to women entrepreneurs who want to start projects in Sindh. We also help them secure soft loans from the banks if they need more capital’’
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh for the Human Rights Department, Rajvir Singh Sodha said that, ‘’Uplifting women is the need of the hour. Under the patronage of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Sindh government is ready to go an extra mile in supporting this cause.’’
A number of women entrepreneurs also shared their success stories. Film Director Ameena Khan encouraged women to break boundaries.
‘’Once you have managed a film set in chaos, you can handle anything. That is the power of fearless leadership, and it doesn’t survive storms, it thrives in storm, Ameena shared her experience and pushed all women to take leading roles.
According to the UN report 2023, ‘’The overall labour force participation rate (LFPR) of women in Pakistan at 21% stands well below the global percentage at 39%. At the national level, the refined LFPR of women (aged 15-64 years) is very low at 26% compared to 84% for men’’.
‘’More than 70% of all employed women are in vulnerable jobs, as compared to 44% of men and thus are subject to poor working conditions, including high wage discrimination, lack of work contracts and decent working conditions, as well as lack of social security. Vulnerable employment is higher in rural areas at 81% as compared to urban areas (37%)’’.
Lack of education is another factor that contributes to this situation.
As per the UN report, ‘’An estimated 22.8 million children (aged 5-16 years) in Pakistan are out-of-school and the gender gap is alarming. A staggering 53% of females (15-64 years) reported that they never attended school compared to 33% of males in the same age range.
Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany in Karachi, Andrias Wagnar remarked that, ‘’This movement (Shevolution) is not about being anti-men, it is about making space for everyone to be who he or she wants to be. It is not about women’s rights; it is about the equal rights of everyone’’.
Wagnar reiterated that Germany was committed to creating an inclusive society that offers equal opportunities for all, ensuring that women and men have the same rights, freedom and access to the economic and social opportunities. With that, he stressed for giving women a due space.
‘’It is essential that we stay true to the ideals of empowerment ensuring that the voice of the women is not diluted but amplified in the corporate, political and cultural spheres’’.
National Gender & Youth Expert UNIDO, Huda Bhurgri shared her experience of visiting women in some of the five districts of Sindh, including Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Tharparkar and Larkana.
‘’When we talk about economic empowerment or autonomy, we have to carefully consider all the social determinants, all societal, gender and political barriers due to which women cannot achieve what they have dreamt to achieve’’.
‘’Incredible talent and creativity exist in rural Sindh. Understand the routine and weigh the burden of these women. Improve their access to essential services, provide them tech assistance from imagination to execution and strengthen public-private partnership to give these women their due share in society,” concluded Huda.
In the adjacent hall, women artisans of Sindh showcased their artefacts. Visitors, including the diplomats, were visibly moved by the intricacies of the designs.
Standing next to an artisan who had made a traditional Ajrak, a block-printed fabric being used in Sindh for over five thousand years, Fazeela was telling an admirer that ‘’this is a heritage from Mohenjo-Daro and the artisan is the daughter of Sindh’’.
