Women’s socio-economic empowerment, access to WASH facilities interlinked: Romina Khurshid

Islamabad:Coordinator to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Romina Khurshid Alam on Thursday said that women’s socio-economic empowerment and tackling hygiene issues are closely interconnected. Because, improving access to hygiene and sanitation facilities directly impacts women’s health, dignity, and access to equal economic opportunities for them.

Addressing a high-level hygiene kits distribution event under the ‘She Power’ initiative, the PM’s climate aide Ms Alam said that access to adequate and safe [menstrual] hygiene and sanitation facilities for girls and women has remained mostly a neglected area in the country, especially in rural and low-resource settings of Balochistan province.

“By addressing hygiene challenges in ways that directly improve women’s access to education, work, and leadership opportunities, we not only promote women’s empowerment but also foster healthier, more equitable communities,” she stressed.

The ‘She Power’ initiative was recently launched in different far-flung parts of Balochistan including recently in Quetta by the non-governmental organization Asian Synergies in support of the climate change and environmental coordination ministry and the Chinese government. It aims to improve the health and quality of life of the province’s young women with a focus on health, hygiene, and education. It reflects the ongoing collaboration between Pakistan and China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, aiming to improve socio-economic conditions in the region.

Rumina Khurshid Alam said that given the successful outcome of the initiative in the shape of enhanced awareness of good hygiene practices, particularly managing their mensural hygiene safely, all efforts would be made to coordinate with other provincial governments to implement the ‘She Power’ initiative in girls schools.

The initiative was launched last month in Balochistan’s remote districts of Gwadar, Lasbella and Quetta city with the distribution of over 20,000 hygiene kits among schoolgirls of government schools.

The kits contain essential hygiene products including sanitary pads, soap, hand sanitizers, and educational materials on hygiene practices, aimed at promoting better health practices among young girls in the province.

The PM’s Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid hoped that the landmark initiative would help reduce the school dropout ratio among schoolgirls, and enhance their school performance and their overall health by ensuring that they can manage their menstrual health with dignity.

She also highlighted that local health workers and community leaders had been also engaged in promoting this initiative, ensuring that the messages resonate within cultural contexts. This grassroots approach will hopefully help overcome barriers related to stigma and misinformation surrounding menstrual health.

Addressing the participants of the event, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, Samina Mumtaz Zehri termed the initiative a game-changer step as it promotes open discussions amongst school girls in Balochistan about their menstruation and hygiene.

The initiative has helped reduce the stigma associated with menstrual health. This cultural shift will encourage girls to feel more comfortable attending school during their menstrual cycles, she added.

Ms Zehri highlighted that lack of access to sanitary products, clean water, washing soups, and safe spaces to manage hygiene and sanitation needs has always led to social stigma, and health complications, often keeping women out of school and the workforce.

Ms Zehri said, “Women, mainly in rural settings, of the Balochistan province, often bear the burden of fetching water and their inadequate access to clean water, hygiene and sanitation facilities only aggravate the risk of illness, which affects not just their health but also their ability to work and participate fully in life.”

“Educating girls and women about the importance of hygiene and sanitation can lead to enhanced adoption of safe hygiene and sanitation practices among them and their family members, which can also help reduce the social stigma,” she suggested.

Ms Zehri said creating a supportive environment that promotes health awareness and access to essential hygiene products is of paramount significance to achieve women’s empowerment and their participation in the country’s development.

Chief executive of Asian Synergy, Neelam Hamid informed the participants that the ‘She Power’ initiative has been launched with the overarching goal of transforming the socio-economic lives of the girls and women and improving their health through enhanced and sustained access to reliable hygiene and sanitation facilities.

“We have launched this initiative with kind support of the Chinese government to enhance women’s empowerment and meeting their hygiene needs, starting with teacher-led training on personal care and cleanliness and then students, especially in areas deprived of basic facilities,” she remarked.

She said further that the initiative also seeks to advance the use of essential hygiene products and promote a culture of health awareness through education and advocacy about importance safe sanitation and hygiene on girls’ and women’s health.