Begum Samina Alvi inaugurates facility to promote artisans’ works, empower women

ISLAMABAD, Nov 19, (SABAH): First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi on Saturday inaugurated a facility here aimed at preserving and promoting Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and supporting the women artisans from various parts of the country.

The first lady inaugurated the new office of Indus Heritage Trust – a non-profit organisation engaged in preserving and promoting the country’s heritage of arts and crafts while empowering the communities.

The facility marked the display of various women-created products including shirts, jackets, shawls, jewellery and bags besides homewares including embroidered cushions, mats and tea cozies.

The first lady took a round of the new office and appreciated the skills of the artisans which she believed would also help financially empower the women, particularly those living in the backward communities.

Supporting a network of around 5,000 women in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the IHT is working to enhance and strengthen the skills of artisans to help them create high-quality handcrafted products and to create a sustainable future for rural communities.

The first lady also cut a cake to mark the occasion and wished the organisation to achieve more milestones by enhancing its outreach to more women.

Women from different walks of life including business and diplomatic corps attended the event and took a keen interest in the handcrafted products.

Meanwhile talking to the official media, the IHT Chairperson Siddiqa Saeed Malik said the Trust was serving to empower and skill train the women and lauded the first lady’s devotion to support the cause. She said whether it was the 2022 floods or those of 2010, or any other calamities, the IHT supported the distressed women by guiding them to business opportunities.