SOCIAL MOBILIZATION AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

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SOCIAL MOBILIZATION AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
A STUDY IN SELECTED AREAS OF AJK (Page 11)

Written by Abid Ghafoor Chaudhry

4.1 Respondents view about project

The NJVCDP is actually aiming at strengthening the people to become more economically active. The objective of CDG's is to make a group and to train them with some skills, after some time the same CDG is expected to become independent of any help and should manage its concerns by itself. The respondents were asked whether they still needed help or assistance from the project officials. Different responses were given as shown in table 4.1:

Table 4.1:Respondents' view about project

S. #	Response	F	Percent
1.	Technical Assistance is still required	100	41.7
2.	Both Technical & financial support is required	60	25
3.	There should be some contact of officials	60	25
4.	Not sure about the destiny of the program after the projects officials role being suspended	20	8.3
	Total	240	100

The female respondents told that the awareness scheme, i.e. social mobilization started by the project about the benefits of the program has positively worked for the progress of the project. However, they still feel that there is need for intervention from the project officials. 41.7 percent of respondents said that external intervention from the project officials is required but in terms of technical advises. 25 percent responded that they would always need technical and financial support from the project officials. Another 25 percent told that they would need some contacts with the officials whereas rest of the 8.3 percent were not sure about their roles after the termination of the project officials roles.

Conclusions

The project has been operational in the Neelum and Jhelum Valley's since five years. During this period no doubt lots of efforts and money has been spent on the social mobilization of masses, training, and credits given to the CDGs. The program has now started coming up with its results that target population by themselves feel empowered especially the females. As a matter of fact, the social mobilization has played a vital role in making the population aware of the advantages which could be possible only when both segments of society (women & men) strive to get them selves out of the poverty web. The following are the lessons learnt to them:

a. Most of the females have felt that with better education and training they can even increase their income.

b. Most of the women after becoming economically active feel that now they can influence and even change the decisions of the family because they themselves feel more important.

c. Most of the women have full hold over their incomes and they are free to spend the money, which they have earned after their choice.

d. Their income has contributed a lot in improving the health status of family members.

e. They give full credit to the social mobilization of the project, which has broken the community's stereotypes regarding the females, participation in out door activities.