Economic Empowerment

Women in Old City experience multiple impediments in accessing basic livelihood opportunities. One of the major hurdles is the patriarchal notion that women belong to and in some cases are biologically disposed to the domestic sphere, held by the community leaders and shared by the majority populace. This retrograde and scientifically inaccurate sentiment is shared across the globe but is highly visible in the precincts of Old City and is performed daily in language by the populace. Men in the community lay claim on the idea of the ‘Public Sphere” and in turn exercise control by manipulating political will. These gendered notions are then condensed into norms surrounding women’s attire, mobility, and security.

Shaheen works on these performative aspects of an underlying ideology and believes in deconditioning these attributes. It believes in the power of capital and the importance of choice ushered by economic freedom.

Shaheen has been actively employing requisite resources to build a support system for young girls and women. To take control of their resources, to become self-reliant and to become economically empowered are the main objectives of the participants.

  • Training camps and awareness programmes on various economic activities
  • Diverse traditional as well as new generation skill training courses, like
    • tailoring, mehendi designing, karchob or embroidery work
    • computer skills
    • spoken English and Urdu classes
    • four-wheeler driving courses.
  • Other certificate courses and time to time workshops.
  • Meetings with placement cells.