The All Pakistan Women's Association, or APWA, ( ur, آل پاکستان ویمنز ایسوسی ایشن) as it is commonly known, is a voluntary, non-profit and non-political

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

i organisation whose fundamental aim is the promotion of moral, social and economic welfare of the women of Pakistan.Profile of All Pakistan Women Association (APWA) on charity-charities.org website
Retrieved 16 August 2017 APWA was founded in 1949 by

Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan गुल-इ-राणा ( Kumaoni) , image = Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan (1961).jpg , imagesize = , alt = , smallimage = , caption = Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan in 1961 , alongside = , predecessor = Mir Rasool Bux Talpur , p ...

, a famous activist for women's rights, who had said that the role of women is no less important than that of men. Initially APWA was formed to handle the refugee crisis in the newly independent Pakistan after the 1947 partition of

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

.All Pakistan Women's Association role lauded
, Pakistan Observer (newspaper), Published 25 October 2016, Retrieved 16 August 2017 Zubeida Habib Rahimtoola was also the dedicated member of this association. APWA has been a very active organisation since its founding, with branches in 56 districts across Pakistan, and even in rural and urban areas. It celebrates major events such as

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

UN Day United Nations Day is an annual commemorative day, reflecting the official creation of the United Nations on 24 October 1945. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, ...

and UNICEF Day annually, and is a charity organisation which relies on donations to fund its work. APWA received the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Adult Literacy Prize in 1974 and later the ''Peace Messenger Certificate'' in 1987. After the secession of East Pakistan as Bangladesh in 1971, the organisation's branch in

Dacca Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

was renamed as Bangladesh Mahila Samiti. In 2016, at the 68th anniversary of APWA's founding, an annual dinner at the

High Commission of Pakistan, London The High Commission of Pakistan in London is the diplomatic mission of Pakistan in the United Kingdom. In September 2015, DAWN reported Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif constituted a four-member committee to explore the possibility of s ...

was held to pay tribute to the APWA founder, Begum Ra'ana Liaquat Ali Khan. A speaker at the event said that Begum's vision motivated the Pakistani women to contribute positively to the Pakistani society.

Aims and objectives

The aims and objectives of the All Pakistan Women's Association are briefly stated as follows: # "The informed and intelligent participation of the women of Pakistan in the growth and development of their country. # The advancement of the welfare of Pakistani Women through the Improvement of their Legal, Political, Social and Economic status. # The promotion of educational and cultural programmes and policies all over the country. # The Health and Wellbeing of the people of Pakistan in the home and in the community. # The promotion of international goodwill and the brotherhood of mankind."

Affiliations and Associations

APWA enjoys consultative status with the: # Government of Pakistan # ECOSOC i.e. the economic and social council The APWA also keeps close touch with U.N. and its specialized agencies at home and abroad. It is internationally affiliated with many organizations, such as: *

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of over 3,000 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Many of its activities ...

International Alliance of Women The International Alliance of Women (IAW; french: Alliance Internationale des Femmes, AIF) is an international non-governmental organization that works to promote women's rights and gender equality. It was historically the main international org ...

On a national level, APWA is associated with: * Ra'ana Craftman Colony * APWA

Cottage Industries The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...

* Gul-e-Ra'ana Community Center * Gul-e-Ra'ana Nusrat Industrial Home *

Women's International Art Club The Women's International Art Club, briefly known as the Paris International Art Club, was founded in Paris in 1900. The club was intended to "promote contacts between women artists of all nations and to arrange exhibitions of their work", and ...

(GFWC)

Programs

APWA offers programs in: * Mother and child health services *

Nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...

Programmes at healthcare clinics *

Montessori The Montessori method of education involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes indepen ...

/Primary Education schools *

Adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...

/Literacy *

Social Education ''Social Education'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering social studies education in the United States. It is published by the National Council for the Social Studies. According to Marsela (2014), the problem of social exclusion, which ...

and

Social Work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

among the needy * Population and Family Planning Programs *

Legal Aid Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right to co ...

clinics * Skill Training and Handicrafts Retail Shops * R H Education * Adolescents Programs * Pharmacies and Dispensaries Memberships are open to and provided to Pakistani women regardless of their caste, creed or colour. Non-Pakistani women are also welcome and eligible for memberships.

Projects

APWA, before and after the partition of east and west Pakistan, covered the following fields: # ''Social Welfare'': this included numerous ventures in health volunteer's training, educationals programs, urban community developments, clinics, and hospitals. APWA also took the initiative in requesting a Ministry of Social Welfare and has been associated with many activities on national and international welfare agencies. # ''Education'': APWA runs hundreds of primary schools and mothers clubs, secondary schools for girls in Karachi and promotes literacy and the importance of education by constantly upgrading educational facilities. APWA created The Karachi College of Home Sciences and Home Science departments in universities located in Lahore and Dacca. # ''Rural Reconstructions:'' APWA works in close proximity with the Government's Village Aid Programs and has developed Community Centers to promote general rural programs. # ''International Affairs:'' APWA is in charge of covering all international conferences, delegation and arranging visits for foreign guests and visitors. # ''Rights and Responsibilities for Women:'' APWA is responsible for educating women about their rights and responsibilities by holding seminars, meetings and seeking any necessary legislative or other actions. Other projects include: distribution of relief materials, cultural affairs, advice & legal assistance, publicity and youth work.

Financing

APWA receives funds from: # Internal fund raising efforts # Membership fees # Government grants

Headquarters

APWA Headquarters are located in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

. The governing body meets annually to make their principal policies. Branches are also located in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

References

External links

APWA Pakistan, official website
Women's organisations based in Pakistan Liberal feminist organizations Organizations established in 1949 Organisations based in Karachi Charities based in Pakistan {{Pakistan-org-stub