Sindh PA needs to pass SWMO (Amend) Bill

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly needs to pass Sindh Water Management Ordinance (Amendments) Bill as women have no visible role in water resource management and irrigation system in Sindh, and it must be included in SWMO, so this amendment bill can be leading women to participate, identify issues, and make decision, expressed by Rana Ansar MPA Sindh during a consultative dialogue on Sindh Water Management Ordinance Amendment (ACT) 2018 organized by Strengthening Participatory Organization, in collaboration of Commission on Status of Women in Sindh (CSWS), here, says a Press release.
On the Occasion, Ms. Sharmila Farooqi Member of Provincial Assembly Sindh said, Sindh Government supports the amendments for the SWMO, this is an opening opportunity for women farmers to participate in irrigation system, and to recognize the f integral role of women, and they must be included in the structure of SWMO. She further told that, these are very important amendments we congratulate Rana Ansar MPA who took up this amendment for the bill.
Pirbhu Satyani, Regional Coordinator SPO shared that, in 2017 SPO conducted policy gap analysis of SIDA act 1997 and Sindh Water Management Ordinance 2002 where it was found that women are not part of any structure such as farmer organization, water course association or area water board despite women are directly involved in agriculture and water management at local level. He said, amendments in Sindh Water Management Ordinance will include women in water governance and ensure their say in decision making bodies. He said, purpose of this consultative workshop is to brief policy legislators and get support their support in passing of amendments from Sindh Assembly.
Nuzhat Sherin, Chairman of Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, Government of Sindh, told that, all parliamentarians of Sindh support the bill, and all parties are lobbying to pass it, women should take more participation in every field. There isn’t any representation of women in SWMO, through this bill women can take part in water resource management.
Masroor Ahmed Shahwani Institutional Specialist, described the amendments in SWMO, and shared a detailed presentation on demands and told that women play a big role from sowing seeds to harvest, but there isn’t any participation of women in water resource management.
Abdul Basit Soomro, Chairman SIDA, told that we advocate the rights of women, and SIDA wishes to penetrate the conventional irrigation system, and encourages farmers participation in structure. There is no specific percentage of women, but we want their inclusion in the irrigation system.
Qasim Soomro MPA told that, people of tail areas of Sindh districts face water crisis, particularly women suffer a lot, therefore we encourage the role of women to be included in water management, and would extend every possible support to carry this bill to assembly.
On the occasion, Ms. Adeeba Hassan MPA PTI, Veerji Kolhi Adviser to CM on Human Rights, Raheema Panhwar Civil Society Activist, Jai Ram GM Irrigation Department Sindh, other Civil Society Members, media personnel participated in the consultative dialogue. All MPAs from PPPP, PTI and MQM gave their consents and supported the bill, and jointly it was agreed from all parties to support the bill, and pass from Sindh Assembly.