U.S.-exchange program alumni across Pakistan organized many women’s empowerment programs in celebration of 2014 International Women’s Day. Here are just a few of the great activities that took place!

Young Women Leaders Parliament Learns about Parliamentary Procedure 

On March 16, a Community College Initiative Program (CCIP) alum, and Alumni Engagement Initiative Award (AEIF) Emerge Pakistan project grantee, organized a leadership training conference in Sukkur. The conference trained members of the Young Women Leaders Parliament (YMLP) about parliamentary procedure. YMLP involves student governing boards formed by students of four different government colleges in Sukkur. A U.S. expert on parliamentary order connected via digital videoconference from Los Angeles and conducted an online training session entitled, “Introduction to Robert’s Rules of Order.”

PUAN Balochistan Celebrates International Women’s Day

On March 10, the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Balochistan Chapter, in collaboration with the Women’s Development Department, the Government of Balochistan, and local NGOs, organized an event to celebrate International Women’s Day in Quetta. The theme of the conference was “Inspiring Change for Women.” Many senior politicians, civil society members, and alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs attended the event and shared their views about the importance of women in society. Local women in Balochistan displayed their handicraft work for the audience and explained to visitors how they earn money through both exports and local sale. The event received extensive media coverage in Quetta.

KP Alumni Connect Women on International Women’s Day

On March 8, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Legislative Fellowship Program alumni celebrated International Women’s Day in Pashtoon Garhi. Women of the area gathered to share stories about their successes and struggles. Alumni also completed a bridge project started in the United States during their exchange program by exchanging letters between American women and women in KP. The participants noted that the letters brought women in the two countries closer together by promoting mutual understanding.

On March 8, KP’s  (KP) YES alumni also sponsored a one-day workshop with 50 girls at the Frontier Model School in Peshawar to celebrate International Women’s Day. To promote positive and inspirational role models, the alumni shared stories about women in Pakistan and showed videos about women from around the world.

Capitol Area Alumni Highlight International Women’s Day

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, IVLP alumna Sumaira Gul organized a Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) event on March 7 in Islamabad to highlight women’s political empowerment and discuss the challenges faced by women in Pakistani politics. Ruling party parliamentarian Daniyal Aziz shared his perspective as one of the principal architects of establishing local district governments in Pakistan. Opposition party parliamentarian Beelam Hasnain shared her recommendations for engaging women in the political process in order to achieve “results-oriented democracy” in Pakistan. An advocate from the Islamabad High Court also spoke about the role of judicial interventions in empowering women in the political process. The event was attended by 50 aspiring female politicians and civil society members.

Alumni Screen ESPN Documentary “Venus Vs.”
To close out Black History Month and launch Women’s History Month, the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Islamabad Chapter held the first screening in Pakistan of the ESPN documentary “Venus Vs.” on Feb. 25, chronicling Venus Williams’ fight for equal pay at Wimbledon. The film is part of ESPN’s “Nine for IX” series, which focuses on women’s empowerment through sports. Alumni of U.S. exchange programs discussed how the film’s lessons about civil society activism could be applied to the struggle of Pakistani women for equality in professional fields.

Sukkur Alumni Chapter Focuses on Women’s Empowerment

From February 25-26, the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) Sukkur Chapter organized a “Female Youth Conference and Learning Fest” in collaboration with Shah Abdul Latif University. Sessions covered topics, such as managing emotion for better living, knowing and overcoming your fears, and confidence boosting to empower your personality. Speakers stressed education, social change, and improving the standard of living for women. Specifically, they suggested taking measures to eliminate honor killings, gender discrimination, illiteracy, and forced labor. More than 250 students attended the conference.