Glasgow: (PCP) Global Minorities Alliance (GMA), a Scotland based human rights organisation has distributed sewing machines to the women in the local village in the Punjab province of Pakistan on 5th January 2020.

The gender development programme aims to support young women and girls who have only limited access to learn new skills and access to cash. The project aims to provide a space and opportunity for young girls and women to acquire new sewing skills and generate some cash for their households by selling their products in the local markets.

Generally, women in the village are socially and economically dependent on their male counterparts. This project will also provide a space where women can meet other village women away from their daily chores.

Addressing the distribution ceremony Manassi Bernard, one of the trustees of the organisation stressed the need for women to learn skills like sewing and stitching which can empower and support their families. The GMA trustee vowed to set up more sewing and vocational training centres across the country in the future.

Shahid Khan, GMAs’ trustee also addressed the ceremony. He encouraged the participants of the ceremony to become financially independent after learning skills like sewing.

Ms Farida Akhter, the sewing project lead thanked GMA for providing the women residents of the village an opportunity to learn sewing.

GMA leaders also met the management committee of the sewing project after the ceremony and told the committee that they would provide more sewing machines in the future. The women plan to develop a training course for six months where a trained teacher will teach them sewing skills. The women thanked GMA donors for their continued support and sent their best wishes to GMA friends/donors abroad.

Further request to GMA donors: The sewing project committee further requested if GMA could provide a space (land/plot) for centre as well as more sewing machines and provide necessary access (transport, sewing materials) to the markets where women can sell their work to generate some cash.

GMA will be actively engaged in fundraising for the project above and will encourage prospective donors to support this gender development project in Pakistan where women can learn new skills and can be economically and socially independent.