Women cotton farmers: SCF launches literacy, poverty reduction programme

HYDERABAD: Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) considering the socioeconomic vulnerability to decent work and climate change impacts on their lives and livelihoods, launched the literacy and off-season poverty reduction program for women cotton workers with the support of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network.

According to the statement released by Sindh Community Foundation, Javed Hussain Executive Director said that the women cotton workers are responsible for the textile industry but have poor working and socio economic conditions.

He further highlighted that these cotton workers are lacking in literacy, so facing poor working conditions and less protection and wage calculation. Only 50 to 10% of women cotton workers received primary education and left in second and third grade. He emphasizes that literacy plays a very vital role in socio-economic empowerment.

SCF has launched a literacy program from 30 villages of District Matiari for the next two years. In the first year 15 literacy centers called Suhaee Center, Suhaee in Sindhi means the Light; have been launched in 15 villages of the district where in the first year 525 women cotton workers in each center with 30 to 35 learners will gain basic literacy through attending classes of the informal education module six months.

He said that SCF is continuing its efforts the advance the labor rights of women cotton workers with the intersection of decent work, climate change, and economic empowerment. The literacy will enhance their numeracy skills, reading, and writing skills.

The SCF head said that cotton picking is a seasonable labor of 4 to 6 six months mainly carried by women cotton workers so in the offseason they suffer from poverty.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024