Dabla Colony is an underdeveloped area, fish trawl is considered as the main earning source of the residents. This area of Rehri Karachi is mainly known as fisheries. Women also delve in different crafts, mostly stitching to enhance their family‘s income. Poor home-based women workers of this colony work under deplorable conditions. They undergo long working hours, also overburdened by home chores, with no medical and maternity facilities or social security.
Take a look at the life of Sughra a fisherwomen lives in this society and is performing an important role as the backbone of her family by supporting them morally and financially. She never attends any school or college, but the lady impressed me with her high degree of common sense and a pragmatic approach to life. She never came across health facilities since her childhood; poor health of her mother caused her severe pains. She said that I felt pain in my heart when I saw my mother in pain. No doctor was available to treat and to give her medicine. She took her mother in her own hands to save her life but failed to save her life despite of her vigorous efforts. That was the revolutionary moment when she had promised herself that she will never let any other women of her colony to go through this situation. She was yelling for facing many difficulties including unavailability of electricity, gas and safe water along with unemployment and Poverty. She was just tired watching politicians taking votes and not doing any single step for poor people’s developments.
Sughra started her journey by initiating new ways for helping women of this area and the betterment of the society. She gathered women of her area and established groups to solve the issues encounter the area. She approached various non- governmental organizations to come and begin development work at her village. She used to work herself late nights in bricks Street pavement Project to construct the street of the village, along with women group members struggled to get approved electricity for this village without any reference, she also created awareness regarding education specially for females and in the result approximately 60-70 students are attending school and the count is increasing day by day. She has taken new steps to eradicate poverty from her area through livelihood project with the collaboration of an NGO.
She said “I was alone, but now I have strength of people” she continued by saying that “I was trying to make my village like heaven where every person would be able to say look this is called model village” Sughra is the sole person who brought about somewhat financial stability to her family. She saved money from her earnings for the education of her children. She is running a tiny shop to provide financial support to her family. She carries the burden of the whole family on her frail young shoulders, when her husband (fisherman) goes to deep sea for long time she takes care all the responsibilities of inside and outside the home.
Responsibilities have made her even wiser and stronger that is good for her to tackle a myriad of problems that other women of her age are not even able to think about. She proved herself a highly revered lady. She is a protector of the household and supporter of the women of her area. She holds hard work above all else. She promotes the independence of housewives. She always gives guidance to the women of her area. Sughra is a sign of inspiration not only for her family but for the whole community, playing a dual role to work inside and outside her home.
When the community reflect glimpses of what the great lady is. Dabla Mohalla might have been set up like a model village and runs like a single tribe. These women are more than mere fisherwomen they will become the role models for women of other professions.
I ought to say that the women role should be integrated into every level of policy making while formulating and implementing micro-economic and social policies. Women should be given equitable part, effective and adequate at all levels in the Government. An effective mechanism has to be instituted to enable the women in decision making at all levels in the government. The women should be given access and control over production resources such as credit and technology. The women should empower for adoption of measures to prevent and eliminate all form of violence against them.
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