TEAM
Shabistan Gaffar is an educationist, reformer, philanthropist and social activist who has dedicated her life to the empowerment of women, primarily through education. She began her career engaging herself with the elementary education advocacy, interacted with teachers, students and parents as a partner in a positive learning and focused classroom community in district, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, India as a volunteer.
She was associated with and served as Vice President Comptech Education Trust, worked for IT learning skills by imparting training courses, certificate and diploma to link youth with jobs in Jammu and Kashmir, especially women. She provided women with vocational skill education to earn their livelihood and communicative skills for personality development.
She was associated with Jammu and Kashmir state women commission for gender, justice, domestic violence, human rights, peace build for women. She worked with Jammu and Kashmir social welfare department, for SC, ST and OBC project, IT, vocational and communication Skills in 14 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. She also worked for digitalization of e-learning program with Jammu and Kashmir employees for transparent governance besides providing placement to 5000 student for IT oriented job.
Shabistan Gaffar was Honorary Coordinator for NCMEI Government of India for girl’s education, advocacy and strengthening of disadvantaged institutions for imparting education. She worked as a director to Saifing Hospital for research institution and provided door-to-door maternity and health care in slum areas of Delhi.
In 2009, Shabistan Gaffar was appointed as a Hon. Chairperson on committee on girl's education NCMEI (MHRD) Government of India. She was appointed along with the other members who had experience in educational field across India. Her task was to prepare reports after consultations, workshops, conferences and seminars and also spread awareness among parents, girls, women and other stakeholders. She also had to work on finding what the pros and cons of girl's education dropout, challenges and opportunities motivating parents and other stakeholders to encourage girls education and submit recommendation to Government of India and those were formulated to empower through education. One was submitted 2012 and other 2014.
Later she was appointed as Academic council member to NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) and was also Nodal officer for NCME to bridge gap between dropout and NIOS, especially girls because they were the most disadvantaged.
As the Chairperson of AICWETE (All India Confederation for Women Empowerment) she was directly overseeing the functioning of the several flagship programs of the organization. This flagship programme was for the empowerment of women especially the poor and the underprivileged.
During 2014 to 2018, she went a step ahead and closely worked with institutions across India and motivated stakeholders to develop the infrastructure for women education by all means possible. In rural areas she worked on construction of toilets in schools for the girls separately and for their proper hygiene and sensitization. She helped women and financed them with interest-free loans from our organization to self-help groups, and linked them together by opening their accounts. She also provided women with high-end vocational training and helped them with placements in the desired industries. Most of them have started their own business and enjoying a much better life with great emphasis on education and skill development on their children.
