Women and how they fight poverty

Nobody is poor of his or her own volition. It is lack of opportunity and access to resources that consigns one to poverty. And that given half a chance and a little bit of monetary stimulus the poor can work their way out of the poverty trap has been superbly demonstrated by these women. There are many such people waiting for a little support to break the shackles of poverty.

Our rural poverty is in essence endemic and hence requires continuous intervention of the entire community, particularly the affluent section of the population. In this process a broader understanding of the problems faced by the beneficiaries in their context will pave the way for a sustainable all round development. The bulk of the rural poor are women who need more assistance than any other group to come out of the poverty trap.

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Problems faced by the rural poor, particularly women in this region are identical. This is where SAARC could come forward with a comprehensive strategic intervention programme by creating a common fund to deal with the ultra poor, especially for empowerment of the disadvantaged women. Improving upon the rights and privileges of women leading to sustainable all-round development will also go a long way in enhancing SAARC's usefulness, something that has been in question too frequently.

Reaching consensus on many of the issues, high on the agenda of the current SAARC Summit may be difficult due to their linkages to various political cross currents, hence ''time and resources'' invested in this common platform encompassing common interest of the region have potentials of high returns.

Let there be a common approach to a very common problem that has the potential to stunt all other developments in the region, if not addressed urgently.