Women of Old City are well-educated and have done better than their fellow men in earning bachelors and master’s degrees but represent a tiny fraction of the workforce in the organized sector.
With no jobs available closer home, they are questioning why the area every time scores poorly on the development index in the state capital.
Ambitious to be successful professionally, women in these areas are looking forward to that party which they elect to power this election would help to generate employment opportunities for them at least.
Women herein Old city express that they want to bring an end to poverty that has plagued them and their families for decades together, marginalising them. “If poverty is wiped out, child labour that is rampant here can be wiped out too,” women residents echo.
Rafia Nausheen, a resident and an activist working on issues concerning adolescent girls, said, “With all big workplaces and establishments based out of Old City, employment opportunities here are few and far between. There is a need to create employment opportunities for women.”
A number of women in Old City are primary bread winners for their families as majority of the men here are working in the unorganized sector. Right from housemaids to tailors, incense stick makers to embroidery designers, women take up odd jobs to make ends meet.
“Increasing employability and giving interest-free loans is something the government and party in power can do. In fact, it is the need of the hour as there is no dearth of talent here,” adds Lubna Sarwath, an AAP member.
Appositely, women mention that if they are financially sound, they can muster courage to report crime and take decisions. “The state government was giving 30% loan subsidy for budding entrepreneurs from the minority communities. However it recently enforced an age restriction of 35 years to avail the benefit. We want the government to remove this age bar,” said Asiya Khatoon, chairman of Mahila Sanatkar, a cooperative society that has nearly 3,000 women artisans enrolled with it. The society provides employment opportunities to these women based on the projects it bags.
Residents are also aggrieved that their long awaiting demand for a government degree college for women has gone to no purpose in subsequent elections. “There is only one government Degree College for girls in Old City located at Hussainialam. Girls who get seats in this college are very lucky as most parents are unwilling to send their daughters to colleges far off,” said Sabiha Fatima, ahomemaker. Girls who don’t get admission in this college are forced to drop out, she adds.