Women in Sindh

Win historic recognition

To manage water

By Manoj Genani

Despite being a major part of Sindh's agricultural force, women farmers were kept excluded from water management for years.

A landmark amendment was passed by the Sindh province’s legislative assembly recognised — for the first time — the role of women farmers in water management. The Sindh Water Management (Amendment) Bill, 2018 now guarantees women’s representation in around 45,000 water course associations, over 350 farmer organisations, and 14 area water boards in the province. It has been a long battle to create an historic change.

Dhani Bux, a farmer and advocate for efficient water management in his district Badin, was one of many men demanding a share of water in the ‘tail-end areas’ of the Sindh province. For the last decade, Bux and his fellow farmers have faced a serious scarcity of water that has turned their fertile lands in Badin and Thatta barren and spurred mass migration. He is the leader of the District Badin Alliance, formed after legislation titled the ‘Sindh Water Management Ordinance’ (SWMO) was passed in 2002, which required that farmers’ organisations be formed at each distributary for the equitable distribution of water.

Unfortunately, there was no specific provision or requirement for women farmers, therefore women were kept out of this important fight. “Unfortunately, I was not part of the farmers’ organisation that decides the distribution of water resources,” Farzana (who uses one name) told The Third Pole. From the village of Qasim Solangi, she rears cattle, takes part in several agricultural activities, brings water home and does housework. Farzana added, “If women are given a chance in water resource management, we know the lands more than men, and can decide what suitable measures should be taken.”

Women farmers in rural Sindh are a significant part of the agricultural workforce. In 2015, an FAO study in Pakistan reported that women’s role in agriculture increased during the last two decades, as many men migrated from Sindh’s rural areas to urban centers to improve their income possibilities and to avoid exploitation from local landlords.

“Such conditions have given rural women an active role in on-farm and off-farm activities and has also increased their work burden and responsibilities. Women in Sindh are involved in crop production from sowing to harvesting stages, rural women in agriculture, they should be recognized as women farmers rather than sharecroppers or helpers. Women in rural Sindh work on average for 12-14 hours a day,” the report said.

Water scarcity is a huge problem for the farmers in rural Sindh. 77% of these, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, are women.

The water network which consists of three barrages, 14 main canals and about 40,000 field outlets is a key pillar of the rural economy. This massive and cohesive system of canals, outlets and distributaries has been the lifeline of the people here for the last century. However, for the last few years, due to theft and the usage of water by big landowners for their own orchards, the tail-end areas have been largely deprived.

And while men like Bux fight this “political influence and monopoly of big landowners” whom he said “have axed the fair distribution of water”, women are excluded from these platforms even though they are stakeholders very much affected by irrigation policies, laws and distribution of water.

Activist Abida Samoo highlighted the challenge women face. “In rural areas, women do a lot of work in the agricultural field — more than men — from sowing seeds to harvesting,” he said. “Unfortunately, they don’t have a stake in water distribution, even though a woman can efficiently use water once she gets involved.” Without a clear role in water governance, women and landless peasants are less involved in water conservation.

Fighting for recognition

A legislator in the Sindh province, Rana Ansar, had had enough. “I also belong to a farming family. Years ago, when we faced a water crisis, I took a stand and raised my voice. But I was told to ‘stay away’ because women don’t have any power in the farmer organisations or in the area water boards,” said Ansar, who proposed an amendment bill in 2018 that covers the role of women in water management.

After a three-year struggle, on January 12, 2021, the amendment taken up by MPA Ansar was passed by the Assembly.

The amendments are:

An amendment to Section 30 that includes “Two prominent women of the AWB command area from a strong farming background in irrigated agriculture and water, preferably a member of Board of Management of any FO”

An amendment to Section 42 that includes: “Two women [should be] of the FO command area having strong farming background in irrigated agriculture and water, provided that one-woman member shall be landless”

In section 56, subsection (1) “In addition to elected members of WCA, the Board of WCA shall consist of two women members preferably sharecroppers of the same water course, where the WCA is formed”

An amendment to Section 70 that includes: “Two women members, one shall be prominent woman activist/ Lawyer/journalist and one shall be prominent woman agriculturist.

The amendment has met with support from many quarters. Genevieve Hussain, a Policy Officer at the FAO, said this recognition is hugely important. Amjad Baloch, the regional coordinator of the Strengthening Participatory Organisation, told a local paper that, prior to this, women were not part of any structure. “Now after the passage of the amendment, women will get representation in around 45,000 water course associations (WCAs), over 350 farmer organisations (FOs), and 14 area water boards (AWBs),” Baloch said. “It helps in mainstreaming women in water resource management and irrigation structures in the province.”

Most importantly women farmers like Khatijan Ghirano, who owns 6 acres of land, were elated. “Women can save more than men as we know very well the agricultural land and the issues related to water, water courses and distributaries,” she said “Once we are part of the farmers’ organisation, we will find a way to solve these issues.”

This article was originally published by Dawn and has been reproduced with permission from Manoj Genani

Truth of Life

By Tikam Matai

When we get older we pause sometimes how the time has slipped away so fast.

We recollect good old days. Good time spent with friends, late night parties with

so much fun.

Now the body has slowed down, the body is so fragile, anything can happen

anytime. We make several visits to the doctor’s office, which makes us so upset

and disappointed. At this point there becomes some openness to spiritual life that

perhaps was not there when we were young, Then we look some kind of

framework, how to live peaceful life and stay interconnected with people.

While young, we were well placed in our jobs, recognition in the society and were

living a lavish lifestyle. Now we are thinking much about the past which makes us

desperate and frustrated. At this stage if we diminish our ego driven personality,

we become more humble and that helps us to have room for other people and

openness of mind.

As we get older and older we think about our riches and belongings. Sooner or

later we have to leave everything here, when we depart from this planet. We

came here bare handed and we will depart bare handed.

No matter how great, rich & famous we are, once we leave this planet, in five

minutes the world will forget us.

From time to time we should ask ourselves “what do we need from this life?”

Life is truly simple but we have complicated it with too many materialistic goals,

hatred, jealousy & desire to grab power.

Dalai Lama, when he was asked what surprised him most about humanity,

answered “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money, then he

sacrifices his money in order to recuperate his health. He is so anxious about the

future that he does not enjoy the present, the result being that he does not live in

the present or the future. He lives as if he is never going to die, and dies having

never really lived.”

Yudhishtra was known as the wisest amongst the five Pandav brothers. Someone

asked him “What is the greatest surprise of this world?”

He replied, Every day we hear that this person is gone, that person is gone, but

every individual thinks as if he is going to live forever. This is the greatest surprise

of this world.

According to Swami Ram Krishna Paramhansa one has to have faith in God like a

little child. A little orphan boy used to go to school alone and had to cross the

jungle to reach the school while other children used to accompany their parents.

One day the orphan boy asked his mother who is my Dad, Sometimes I get scared

when I cross the jungle. Mother replied, “Gobind is your Dad. When you are

scared call upon Him, He will take care of you”. One day while crossing the jungle

this boy was very much scared and cried “Oh! Gobind Oh! Gobind Please come

and help me “. Then here comes Gobind, carries the boy in his lap and drops him

at the school. This type of faith brings enormous results.

He listens to the footfall of an ant. Impossible becomes possible with His Grace.

Purpose of Life is to be Happy. In This wide world of seven billion people who

knows who! We have to know ourselves, Our True Self.

Sadhu Vaswani Center

By Komal Kalvani

Sadhu Vaswani Center Closter US

Sunday, September 24th, will be the annual Dada Dharshan Mela at the Sadhu Vaswani Center in Closter. The day will be filled with a variety of delicious Sindhi Food, and Sindhi culture, including traditional dances and musical accompaniment put on by the members.

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Uday Academy

 By Paresh Nagpal

Uday Academy in Nagpur works to help children from the Sindhi community reach higher positions. This organization does team work in all the states across the country.

UPSC Promotion Seminar was organized on 02.07.2023 at Baba Sukhramdas Darbar, Ahmedabad. The General Secretary of this organization Shri Pratap Bhai Dewani and Joint Secretary and founder member Prakash Motwani were present in this seminar from Nagpur.

The members of the Gujarat team and the children of the Sindhi community and the entire society present were welcomed and encouraged.

General Secretary Shri Pratapbhai Devani appreciated and congratulated the work of the Gujarat team. In order to make the Gujarat team very strong and to accelerate the work of this organization and bring good results in the days to come, the following appointments have been made in the team.

*Shri Govind Melwani will act as the President of All Gujarat*

*Shri Paresh Nagpal, General Secretary, Entire Gujarat State*

*Shri Kamal Mehta Vice President All Gujarat*

*Shri Jitendra Jethani coordinator all over Gujarat*

All the children and parents from across the country welcomed these appointments with great joy and happiness. Newly appointed President Mr. Gobind Melwaniji assured his new team to do well in the years to come.  

********** 

Sindhi Film 'Simran'

Best Actress awardee

Ms.Simran Ahuja

By Priit Khatri

Very proudly we would like to inform our readers that, India’s brilliant actress and a Celebrity Anchor, our Sindhi community pride, Ms. Simran Ahuja walked the red carpet at the prestigious 5 th Hongkong International Youth Film Festival 2023 at Hongkong.

She was awarded The Best Actress award for a Sindhi Film ‘Simran’. This is her back-to-back 2nd International award in a foreign language category. The 1st International award that she won was ‘The Global Film and Music Festival awards, USA”.

Simran Ahuja has been invited as the ‘Grand Marshal’ at Atlanta, USA to celebrate the Independence Day which is a huge honour for our Sindhi Community.

Sindhi film ‘Simran’ is about an inordinate journey of an ambitious young girl who is so consumed by her dreams that she forgets her basic family values. She does attain name, fame, success and stardom but she isn’t happy. She realizes her mistake but it’s too late by then.

The film has an excellent social message for the society. In this film, a social problem of widow remarriage is also brilliantly presented in quite an encouraging way.

The film has been shot in beautiful locations of America, Kashmir and Mumbai. The film has been running successfully in India and abroad.

WINNERS OF AUGUST'S TRIVIA

SUNIL THANI - Mumbai, India 

ANITA VASWANI - New York, USA

SEPTEMBER TRIVIA

 What is the Sindhi name for each of these vegetables?

Send your answers to Info@SindhiSamachaar.com for a shout out in our next issue.

A Son tells mum "I found a bride"

She asks "Who"?

Son says he will bring 3 over for dinner and the mum has to guess which one is his bride.

They all arrive and the son lines them up.

Mum says " She is the one on the right"

"How did you know mum" says the son surprised.

Mum says "Cos I hate her already"!

Launched with love for everything Sindhi, our newsletter, Sindhi Samachar, aims to be circulated amongst our Sindhi family and friends intended to forge unity and interaction within our community. We hope our brothers and sisters globally participate and contribute towards it with your views, Sindhi news, Sindhi jokes, or Sindhi recipes, which we will be happy to publish under your name.

Editor-In-Chief

Vini Melwani

Editorial Content

Raj Daswani

Geeta Raj

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