Revenue generated through art & craft bazaar will contribute to women empowerment
Zubair Qureshi
The two-day art and craft bazaar concluded on Sunday at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre, featuring a variety of handmade products and colourful fun activities.
The event remained open for hundreds of fun lovers and families that had come braving the chilly winds to spend ‘quality time’ and to get a taste of traditional food and shop the art pieces from the bazaar.
There were a number of activities ranging from stalls of various products, games for kids, traditional food, live music besides providing an opportunity to meet artisans from all over Pakistan.
The organizers said Behbud Art and Craft Bazaar was a regular feature, first initiated in 1967 by Behbud Association of Pakistan which is a non-profit, non-political social welfare organization run mainly with the help of a team of volunteers.
“Its main aim is to support the less-privileged women and make them self-reliant and productive members of society. This is done by providing skill training together with income generating opportunities, subsidized health facilities and educational services for street children,” said one of the organizers.
Resultantly, Behbud has enabled thousands of women and their families, spanning over four generations, to improve their quality of life.
“We give lifelong skills to women and the products made by them are not only for income generation but they focus on maintaining the identity of dying crafts and unique embroidery,” she further said.
One could see a large number of children and families enjoying themselves at various stalls and taking pictures with their loved ones. Thousands of people from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and other cities participate in it. the revenue generated from the bazaar is used in the projects of health and education to help empower women and make the future of their children bright.
These stalls also exhibited a variety of items related to women and children including dresses, handbags, home textiles and garments to provide the buyers with an opportunity to get a perfect extravaganza as well as a source for respectful earning to the rural women. This initiative strengthens the socioeconomic empowerment of women enabling them to play a more constructive role.
Behbud trains women and then employs them which in turn generates income for them and uplifts them financially, resulting in greater self-esteem and a skill in hand which can sustain them for life.
Behbud organizes the art and craft bazaar every year in Islamabad and in doing this it is supported by stakeholders and the local business community.
