Islamabad, July 9, 2026: The Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Bedari, with support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), has successfully concluded the three year Empowering Women & Girls (EWG) Project.
The project completion ceremony brought together policymakers, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, journalists, community leaders and project beneficiaries to mark the achievements of the initiative and reflect on the lessons learned.
Engineer Gul Asghar Khan Baghoor, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Communication, commended the project for its impact in the districts where it was implemented. He praised the joint efforts of the partners in expanding access to education, strengthening livelihoods and advancing gender equality at the community level.
Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro appreciated the creativity, resilience and entrepreneurial potential shown by women beneficiaries during the exhibition. She said she would work to facilitate a similar exhibition at Parliament House so women entrepreneurs could reach wider audiences and expand their businesses.
Ms. Noureen Bano Lehri described the project as a holistic and community driven effort to advance the rights and empowerment of women and girls. She said the project’s successful models and practices should be integrated into national policies and institutional frameworks.
Ms. Sasha Oliveira said the partnership between Global Affairs Canada, the Commonwealth of Learning, SPARC and Bedari had helped expand educational opportunities, strengthen livelihoods and promote gender equality. She reiterated Canada’s support for initiatives that create lasting opportunities for women and girls.
Ms. Frances Ferreira, Senior Adviser, EWG Project, Commonwealth of Learning, said the initiative was guided by a shared commitment to the rights, education and economic empowerment of women and girls. She noted that the community centered approach had created lasting positive impacts for families, communities and society.
Ms. Asiya Arif Khan, Executive Director, SPARC, said the project created opportunities for women and girls through education, skills development and community engagement. Ms. Anbreen Ajaib, Executive Director, Bedari, also praised the collaboration and said community partnerships had built a strong foundation for long-term change.
Ms. Sabeen Almas, Program Manager at SPARC, said more than 10,000 girls and boys were reintegrated into formal education and Open Schooling pathways, while over 77,000 women and girls received vocational and labour market skills training. She added that more than 465,000 women and girls took part in awareness sessions on human rights and gender equality, and over one million people were reached through public campaigns promoting women’s rights, education and social inclusion.
Ms. Huma Akhtar Chughtai, Member of the National Assembly, Mr. Ghazanfar Budhal, district task force members, Dr. Zahid Majeed, Director, International Collaboration and Academic Planning, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), and Ms. Komal Ijaz, Assistant Director, Shelter Home, Multan, also spoke at the event. They highlighted the positive change seen at the grassroots level, particularly in raising awareness, promoting girls’ education and increasing women’s participation in community development.
