MEDA-WESS agreement inked for women’s economic empowerment

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA: Ms. Helen Loftin, Regional Manager of MEDA, a Canadian NGO, Monday signed an agreement in Quetta with Mr. Pervez Iqbal, CEO of Water, Environment and Sanitation Society (WESS) to assist them in developing women’s economic empowerment activities over a two year period.

The project worth US$400,000 will directly benefit 5,000 women through an innovative approach developed by MEDA where project staff will work with WESS to implement the planned activities in five districts of Balochistan which are Quetta, Loralai, Killa Saifullah, Mastung and Zohb.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with support from USAID, is funding the women’s empowerment project as part of an ongoing three year agricultural development project entitled Assistance to Agriculture Development in Balochistan Border Areas (ABBA) which is being implemented by WESS since January 2009.

Women in Balochistan have a rich tradition of hand embroidery and handicraft production which are transferred from generation to generation. This project will assist homebound women to develop their entrepreneurship skills so as to get the maximum benefit from their work in embroidery and handicrafts which would supplement their agricultural household income.

MEDA Pakistan has been working to improve the lives of Pakistani women since 2004. MEDA’s vision is to increase Pakistani home-bound women’s incomes in hard-to-reach rural areas by working in partnership with Pakistani organizations and institutions. Pakistani partner NGOs and women artisans will benefit from the training and mentoring necessary for women to access viable markets with appropriate products. MEDA’s project entitled From Behind the Veil worked with women embroiderers in Pakistan and became an award-winning initiative during its life from 2004 to 2007.