Development Empowerment Women Association

DEWA is a women organization working in Talash Valley of District Dir Lower. The female active members of the local community completed training on bees keeping; micro credit and enterprise development program with the collaboration of ILO (International Labor Organization) under the project Titled “Training & Employment for Rural Women”. After completion of this Capacity Building Training the group of activist women established an organization named DEWA (Development Empowerment Women Association) in 1999. The women group registered as a local NGO of District Dir (L) under the Voluntary Social Welfare Ordinance Act 1961 in 2002.

EXISTING SITUATION

District Dir is very backward in all respect of educational, social, political & economic points of view of life due to the dominant force of Nawab-e-Dir since the sixth decade of 20th century and therefore Talash Valley had also been affected by his rule. He was the person, against education, development and wanted the people to be backward and unaware.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

The era of Nawab-e-Dir was famous for his cruel nature regarding religious or other education and most of the people were illiterate and especially women, which is the basic and common factor of social disparity in the area. Women have no equal right in getting education, employment, political participation and decision-making. Women could not participate in local government elections, although women are the most important segment of the population remained deprived and neglected of their development and other social rights.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION

Poverty is one of the important factors of social life in this area. Few private organizations except of government departments are working in the concerned area and therefore, highly unemployment ratio is existing there.