Project initiated to provide free ID cards to women of flood-affected districts of Sindh and Balochistan

Ahsan Baloch
SUKKUR: The Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has started for acquiring the card foridentified 85,000 women and other marginalized groups in nine flood-affected districts of Sindh and Balochistan.
The project of issuing national identity cards to women and disadvantaged groups in the areas affected by the recent flood disasters was launched here yesterday, in which officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), provincial and district disaster management authorities, Representatives of the district administration and civil society participated.
Under the project, 36,000 new identity cards will be issued to women in six districts of Sindh, Sanghar, Khairpur, Larkana, Mirpur Khas, Ghotki, Dadu and three districts of Balochistan, Jafarabad, Naseerabad and Jhal Magsi. 49,000 women who have lost their ID cards due to this, as well as disabled and transgender people will also be provided with free replacement cards.
Expressing her views on the occasion, TDEA Project Head Hina Tabasim said that TDEA has been taking steps to encourage participation of women and other marginalized groups in the electoral and political process for the past twelve years.
In 2011, TDEA started providing assistance to women in obtaining ID cards which has now evolved into a national campaign for women’s ID cards and vote registration. He emphasized that lakhs of people in the recent flood affected areas tens of thousands women have lost their identity cards and other documents due to displacement. They need assistance in obtaining identity documents so that they can enjoy civil and political rights and privileges.
Speaking on this occasion, Director General Nadra Ehtsham Shahid said that NADRA is actively working for women’s ID card registration and Friday has been reserved for registration of women at NADRA registration centers across the country. Assuring all possible support from NADRA to the flood victims, he said that availability of mobile registration vans will be ensured for registration of women in flood affected areas. He said that for the convenience of women, women staff have also been included in the field teams of NADRA. He said that separate counters for women have been made at NADRA centers while wheelchair facilities are also available for disabled persons at every NADRA center.
Director Social Welfare Sukhar Abdul Waheed said that even more important than the distribution of ration to the flood victims is the provision of identity cards to them so that they can benefit from all government facilities. Head of National Humanitarian Network, Wali Muhammad, while addressing the participants of the event, appreciated NADRA and TDEA for this project of providing free ID cards to the flood affected people. On this occasion, Deputy Director Social Welfare Zulfikar Gulal and members of National Council of Fafan Muhammad Yaqub, Younis Bandhani and Nazir Ahmed Ujjan also expressed their views.