Success comes when women exit BISP, become self-reliant: Kundi

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Faisal Karim Kundi Thursday said the success of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) depends on making women self-reliant.

“For us, a success would be when women exit the program and become self-reliant”, Kundi said while addressing the symposium titled “Promoting Shared Knowledge for Continued Actions to Support Gender Justice and Equality”. The knowledge-sharing symposium was arranged by the Human Resource Development Network (HRDN) and Oxfam in Pakistan under the Global Affairs Canada-funded project Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan (WVL-P). The SAPM talked about the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) which has a total of 8.7 million beneficiaries, all of whom are women from poor households.

He discussed the ways in which the BISP team was trying to innovate and streamline the cash distribution system.

He also talked about using technology to make the process of cash transfers smooth and transparent. During his address, Kundi appreciated the work of HRDN and Oxfam in promoting gender justice, and equality and their overall struggle for social and economic protection of women and girls.

Kundi expressed hope that the work of alliances under HRDN and Oxfam can continue in uplifting women out of economic hardship by strengthening skills, and supporting income-generating grants and social safety programs.

The knowledge products launched during the event are part of the issue-based research grants initiative integrated under the Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan project. The event provided an excellent opportunity for HRDN members, community practitioners, women / human right experts, academia as well as policymakers to come together and establish shared learning and knowledge on existing gaps in women-related laws and policies in a changing world and contribute to formulate suggestions and transform our collective actions as a way forward. (APP)