SIEMENS, GIZ roll out young women empowerment initiative “Shana Bashana”

ISLAMABAD, May 31 (APP):Build4Skills, in partnership with SIEMENS Pakistan, Wednesday presented their joint initiative “Shana Bashana” to the national and international Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) experts, decision-makers and private sector representatives in an event in Karachi.

According to a news release received here, the event aimed at supporting the cause of empowering young women by providing them with employment opportunities in technical trades, and it was held by NAVTTC, the German-funded and GIZ-implemented Global Project Education Build4Skills.

As many as 44 young women received Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A) certificates of Logistics and Supply Chain and AutoCAD on successful completion of their 6 months of institute-based training at the Hunar Foundation, followed by 6 weeks of Work-place Based Training (WBT) at SIEMENS Pakistan in Karachi. They also received experience certificates from Siemens at the event.

Some 150 people participated in the Shana Bashana certificate distribution ceremony for the 3rd batch of young women from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The trainees were also given acknowledgement certificates from the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) which will enhance their chances to enter the labour market with their newly gained skills.

While giving the opening remarks, Andreas Wegner, Consul / Deputy Head of Mission German Consulate General Karachi emphasized that “only by setting promising examples we de-construct stereotypes or false assumptions about gender and someone’s abilities”.

Muhammad Daniyal, Managing Director of Siemens Pakistan appreciated the efforts by all the stakeholders for making this initiative possible and encouraged the female participants to strive for their dreams and stand side by side with men in all trades and sectors.”

Romina Kochius, Coordinator Sustainable Economic Development, Training, and Employment, GIZ and also looking after the Global Project Education (Buils4Skills) in Pakistan, while addressing the young women stated, “you are the enablers, who challenge systemic limitations and institutionalized discrimination – so that alleged choices become actual choices”.

Momina Dar, CEO, BTIL Academy and an experienced professional from the humanitarian and development sector was the keynote speaker at the event where she addressed the topic of women’s participation in unconventional trades. Her speech led to a fruitful panel discussion on empowering young girls while promoting work-place based training.

Germany stays committed to empowering women seeking job prospects in male-dominated sectors, as even in 2023, the access barriers for young women to technical trades are still comparatively high. The Shana Bashana initiative has started changing the narrative that women can excel in technical trades in the infrastructure and construction sectors. Partners agree that systemic limitations need to be addressed while the potential of a female workforce is highlighted.

GIZ’s Global Project Education (Buils4Skills) is a globally operating project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Under this project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and GIZ have formed a strategic partnership united in the belief that infrastructure measures hold untapped potential for work-place based training (WBT). The project is operating small-scale interventions in Pakistan, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal and Mongolia.