PURPLE DREAM

PURPLE DREAM is the Women Empowerment project of Pakeezah Vision ministries. The purpose of this project is to provide grants and financial assistance to women to establish small-scale businesses to achieve their dreams and have decent jobs. As Margaret Thatcher says, "Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country."

We are all entitled to human rights. These include the right to live free from violence and discrimination; to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to be educated; to own property; to vote, and to earn an equal wage. But across the globe, many women and girls still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. Gender inequality underpins many problems which disproportionately affect women and girls, such as domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education, and inadequate healthcare. “Purple Dream is an effort to curb gender-based violence and discrimination by providing women greater autonomy and economic stability.” For many years women’s rights movements have fought hard to address this inequality, campaigning to change laws or taking to the streets to demand their rights are respected. And new movements have flourished in the digital age, such as the #MeToo campaign which highlights the prevalence of gender-based violence and sexual harassment. Through research, advocacy and campaigning and projects Pakeezah Vision Ministries help attain greater autonomy. Economics used to be seen mostly as men’s territory. Now, feminist economics has arrived. What does that mean? First, it’s the understanding that economies are more than monetary transactions fed through markets. Second that thriving economies depend on more than work for income-they include work to care for families. And that we need to protect our planet not just exploit it. Decent jobs, health and food security are fundamental, not optional. Pakeezah Vision Ministries is Championing feminist economics in the wake of a pandemic that show

ed just how poor the track record has been for women. They lost jobs at higher rates, faced a shadow pandemic of domestic violence and absorbed more unpaid care work throughout. Purple Dream is an effort to curb gender-based violence and discrimination by providing women greater autonomy and economic stability.