Venue: President House, Islamabad
Date and time: September 29th, 4.00- 6.00 p.m.
Participants: 60 Organizations (including Shirkat Gah – Women’s Resource Centre), Women Ministers, Women Parliamentarians and Bureaucrats participated.
Subject: Roundtable meeting of prominent women, and a few men (Ministers etc.) who were working or were related to the flood response.
Objective: To discuss and evolve a comprehensive strategy for the rehabilitation of flood affectees in general and women and children in particular.
Proceedings:
The President of Pakistan called a roundtable meeting of prominent women who worked with the flood affectees in Pakistan with the objective of evolving a comprehensive strategy for the rehabilitation of flood affectees in general and women and children in particular. The meeting was moderated by Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Sector and 60 Civil Society Organization (CSOs) from all over Pakistan, Women Ministers, Women Parliamentarians and senior civil servants participated.
The meeting started with the recitation of/from the Holy Quran. It was followed by comprehensive discussion on women’s flood related issues. Issues and possible solutions were discussed. Representatives of about 25-30 organizations were asked to present a short talk. The topics covered a wide range of subjects, a gist of which is presented below:
1. Floods can also be considered and opportunity rather than only a disaster.
2. Discussion on flood tax took place.
3. Seeds for the planting of upcoming Rabi crop were required; President responded that he had been informed that the sufficient seeds are available for winter sowing
4. The real face of Pakistan, which was hidden previously, had now emerged and was obvious and in our face. We need sustainable rehabilitation. Cattle cooperatives farms are required.
5. Population services are missing as women have 10-15 children and female literacy was poor
6. UNIFEM Rapid gender assessment report was ready.
7. It was put forward that the previous system of having elected local councilors were very good because it gave the local people, including grass roots women, an opportunity to participate in local decision making. So a suggestion was put forward to the President that the local council elections should be initiated ASAP so they local councilors are in place to help in the rehabilitation work
8. Land that will be re/assigned to the flood affectees should be registered in women’s name; The President responded that his government was very aware of women’s rights (Benazir’s legacy) and recently in Islamabad, flats were being distributed and the President insisted that they should be registered in the wife’s’ name.
9. Better coordination was demanded with UN and NGO /CSOs and Govts. As the UN cluster were very slow in being set-up and inter-organizational coordination was weak.
10. National Identity Cards (NIC) of women needed to be made so that they can benefit from Govt. schemes like the Watan Card: the Watan Card is a new identification card initiated by the Govt. of Pakistan whereby flood affectees can, with the presentation of this card at the local bank/ATM, draw upto Rs. 25,000/- as the initial flood compensation money. In order to qualify for a Watan Card, the Computerized National Identification Card (CNIC) was required but unfortunately many Pakistani women, especially rural women, do not posses it. Fear was expressed that because of this the flood affected women maybe left out of receiving any cash transfers.
11. Security (trafficking of women and children) sanitation, nutrition were important issues for women in the relief camps. They needed to be looked into.
12. At the taluka level (Union council in Sindh province is called a taluka. It is at an administrative level below the district), women needed counseling and women headed households needed to be looked into
13. At the start of the floods, people did not vacate dangerous areas and move to safer ones because there was no camp or place set – up to accommodate them. They had nowhere to go.
14. There is a need for an emergency dept. to be set up at the district level and the Govt. needs to allocate budget for disaster management and develop a comprehensive disaster strategy.
15. A young leaders group mentioned that the President should be accessible by email so that they can discuss different options with him
16. RH needs of women were not catered too and babies were delivering in the camps.
17. It was suggested that at least 10% of women should be part of the decision making bodies of the National, Provincial and District Disaster Management Authority, so that women needs are not overlooked during rehabilitation.
18. The skills that the flood affected women and men possess should be harnessed so that they can start earning livelihood e.g. women can do embroideries etc.
19. Public (political) representatives should be asked to make regular visits to the flood affected areas and help the situation on the ground. They should try and make model villages during rehabilitation
20. Malnourished children were evident in the camps and in Karachi camps at least 30-35% were moderately malnourished. Food security needed to be looked into.
21. All UN agencies, like the WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP need to plan together. There needs to be better coordination
22. It is important that there be involvement of the community in planning their own rehabilitation.
23. It was suggested that the Govt. should built and donate houses for the flood affectees rather than giving them cash transfers. Cash will be wasted by the affectees. The houses should be in the name of the women.
24. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was mentioned and it was said that because women could not go and collect the BISP forms (due to social restrictions), the forms were being returned and not reaching the beneficiaries; (P.N.- BISP is a pre-flood social security scheme setup by the govt. in which women of poor rural households receive Rs. 1000/-month. The Govt. has a few other social security schemes too like the zakat etc. but only BISP focuses on poor rural women).
25. In the upcoming National Health Policy, the voucher scheme needs to be introduced. However it was explained that after the passage of the 18th constitutional amendment in the National Assembly, Health sector had been reverted to the provinces and it was now under provincial jurisdiction (not Federal) so this needed to be pursued in/at the provincial level.
26. There is going to winter and snow coming to the northern districts/areas especially Kohistan, Dir etc. And people are going to get isolated with few rations (poor food security). Accessibility will be difficult as mountain roads will be closed. In response to this, the President consulted the Gen. (Retd.) Nadeem, Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), who was also present, and informed the group that 26 Chinook helicopters donated by the US Govt. were available for those areas during the winter season.
27. In the end the President said that he was very aware of women’s needs and issues and the Govt. had a strong women centered focus.
The meeting ended followed by high tea at the Presidency.
