News

The Foundation discussed Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) with Sindh MPs and the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women at a two-day roundtable held in Karachi on 10-11 January 2022.

Aawaz-II Consultation ‘Local government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is significant as it will help build social capital, improve the delivery of public services, and help citizens assert their rights.” Ms. Farida Shaheed, Executive Director, Shirkat Gah & Member-Aawaz-II Provincial Forum emphasised in her key note address at the Aawaz–II consultation on Social Inclusion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s New Local Government. Better facilities for birth, marriage/divorce registration at the Village/Neighbourhood Council level will reduce gender-based violence and early-age marriage.…

Punjab Budget FY2021-22 Meeting with Punjab parliamentarians, government officials & CSOs 29 December 2021, Lahore About 35 participants including MPs, government officials, academics and CSO members attended the meeting to review details of the Punjab Budget FY2021-22, analyzed by the Foundation using Shirkat Gah’s assessment of Pakistan’s achievement and obligations with regard to CEDAW & SDG 5. Appreciating the analysis, MPA Uzma Kardar said, “It will help us in legislative oversight & examining expenditures of…

In the second half of 2021, the Foundation developed leadership and communication skills of nearly 3,000 women and 600 men from local communities in 5 KP districts. The trained leaders became more familiar with gender equality, human & constitutional rights. They also learnt communication and advocacy skills. The trained leaders will help their communities become more socially inclusive and reject all forms of discrimination. These efforts are part of Fempower-Pakistan.

Government actions on 321 public demands by local CSOs trained by the Foundation improve the delivery of public services to some of the poorest communities in 5 KP districts (Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan & Nowshera). The largest number of demands (78) related to water & sanitation, followed by local government (75) and education (63).

Emphasizing the need for public backing for effective implementation of laws, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Shah, KP’s Secretary Social Welfare & Women’s Development, said “Aawaz-II is strategically placed to provide this support through its tiered presence and interventions at the district and sub-district levels.” He was speaking at the Aawaz-II Provincial Consultation on Child Protection. More than 100 civil society activists, journalists and  academics from 11 KP districts including merged areas actively interacted with government officials,…

KP WPC & government officials discuss budget implementation

The Provincial Forum reviewed its past year’s work and achievements. This included: (a) bringing all key government and non-government stakeholders together on a platform; (b) creating understanding & visibility of Aawaz-II: its objectives, strategy & institutional structure from villages to the province; and, (c) specific interventions in Aawaz-II themes: GBV, early/forced marriage & child protection as well as cross-cutting focus on vulnerable groups. The meeting also defined key interventions to be taken including follow up…

The Foundation assisted Shirkat Gah in facilitating KP's WPC to review the legislative/planning efforts of its committees and to chart future directions. More than 20 MPs from the ruling PTI and opposition parties: JUI-F, JI and ANP attended the meeting. "The WPC has set impressive examples of working across party lines for the rights of women and the marginalized," commended Mr. Mehmood Jan, Deputy Speaker of KP's Assembly and Patron of the WPC. Dr. Sumera…

A discussion on KP’s Budget FY2021-22 was held a day before it was tabled in the provincial assembly. The consultation was organized by British Council under Aawaz-II in collaboration with the Sub-National Governance-II Programme. Speaking at the event, Dr. Sumera Shams, Chair-KP Women Parliamentary Caucus, stressed the need for gender-responsive budgets and gave details of proposals submitted by the cross-party WPC to the Minister Finance. These include requests for allocations for the District Protection Committees,…

The Foundation is helping Shirkat Gah & Simorgh build social accountability skills under Fempower Pakistan

KP's Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra committed Rs.100 million to increase shelters for survivors and women at risk. He confirmed that the province's budget FY2021-22 will include SDG references to help track achievements against these benchmarks. The Minister also committed resources to improve the operations of the KP Commission on the Status of Women. The Finance Minister was responding to GRB proposals presented by the Chair and member of KP's Women Parliamentary Caucus. They were…

Peshawar, 4 June 2021 Meeting with Deputy Secy, Law & HR, KP and Ombudsperson-KP Protection Against Harassment of Women

KP Budget FY2021-22 2 & 4 June 2021, KP Assembly, Peshawar Preparatory meetings with KP Assembly's Deputy Speaker, Chair KP Women Parliamentary Caucus & other MPs.

Consultations with Ms. Rukhshanda Naz, Ombudsperson and Mr.Altaf Hussain, Deputy Secretary Social Welfare to improve citizen engagement with government to address GBV and other grievances.

Under the MOU the Foundation and its partners will work closely with KP’s WPC to strengthen democratic institutions; promote gender responsive policies & budgets; and, support people’s well-being. Focus of the cooperation will be: international obligations (especially CEDAW), SDGs, public finance reform including GRB, and, post-legislative scrutiny. Dr. Sumaira Shams, Chair-KP WPC and Ms. Rashida Dohad, Executive Director of the Foundation signed the MOU. Mr. Mehmood Jan, Deputy Speaker-KP Assembly & Patron-KP WPC, office-bearers of…

The Foundation provides 1,500 PPE suits, 1,500 N95 masks, 37,500 surgical masks, and 950 sanitizers for frontline health workers & other essential personnel in KP’s Districts Mardan & Nowshera. This was made possible with support from philanthropists & Oxfam.

Nathiagali, 21-23 March 2021 Responding to a request from the Women Parliamentary Caucus in KP, the Foundation and Shirkat Gah organised a three-day training & dialogue on public finance management, development funds & processes, SDGs, and, international conventions like CEDAW. Mr. Mehmood Jan, Deputy Speaker of the KP Assembly & WPC's Patron, Dr. Sumaira Shams, Chair-WPC and Dr. Riffat Sardar, Chair-KP Commission on the Status of Women played leadership roles in making this engagement possible.…

29 March 2021, Peshawar The fifth meeting of Aawaz-II Provincial Forum in KP was held on Monday, 29 March 2021 at Peshawar, hosted by the foundation and British Council.  The meeting  also addressed the agenda of Provincial Forum action planning on Aawaz – II core themes of Child Labour, Early/Forced Marriages, and, Gender-based Violence. The discussion framed on understanding the current context of these issues and challenges faced on-ground, while also putting forward key recommendations for counter strategies.  The meeting was chaired by Dr. Riffat Sardar Chair, KPCWS and co-chaired by Mr. Ijaz Khan, Deputy Chief, KP Child Protection & Welfare…

March 2021 The Foundation and its CSO partners help local people in KP become more engaged in governance and the delivery of quality services.

15-16 March 2021, Islamabad British Council brought together the Foundation and other partners from KP & Punjab to review the completion of Aawaz-II’s first implementation year. Achievements were celebrated, challenges identified and future plans drawn up. The event also helped connect partners into a strong, diverse team.

23-25 February & 3-5 March 2021, Islamabad 34 participants from seven Khyber Pakhtunkhwa downstream partners of Aawaz-II attended two training of trainers events organized by the British Council with support from the Foundation. The ToTs helped participants to better understand social cohesion and develop skills to promote it. Specifically, the training helped participants: Develop skills to cascade the training with Aawaz Forum members Become familiar of community disharmony stemming from harmful practices Identify triggers, connectors, spoilers…

13 female and 14 male activists from 12 CSOs KP’s five districts of Abbottabad, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar attended a training on Leadership. They became more familiar with diversity and the imperative for inclusion. Human rights were discussed in detail, and participants were assisted in reviewing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and assessing synergy with the Constitution of Pakistan. The training helped participants better understand gender roles, gender division of labour and the root causes of gender discrimination. “The…

25 February 2021, Peshawar The Aawaz-II Programme in partnership with the KP Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) organized an event to celebrate the passage of the landmark KP Domestic Violence Against Women (Prevention & Protection) Act 2021. Civil society activists, lawyers and journalists participated in the event physically and online. Speaking at the event, Dr. Sumaira Shams, Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus in the KP Assembly, said “the Government is committed to…

The Foundation is helping its Fempower-Pakistan partners: Shirkat Gah, Simorgh and Anthro Insights to build skills for analysing public budgets with a gender lens

1-4 February 2021, Lahore Shirkat Gah facilitated a Training of Trainers, attended by 20 representatives of the Foundation, Simorgh and Shirkat Gah. The training helped participants become more familiar with the concepts of diversity and inclusion, rights and development, gender, leadership, advocacy and communication. A module of leadership was provided -- as a reference guide for cascading replications with community leaders. Specifically, the training achieved the following objectives: Clarified key concepts:diversity & inclusion Improved knowledge about rights & a social contract Deepened understandingabout gender, division of labour, resources & decision making Helped become familiar with leadership, advocacy & principles of communications Under Fempower Pakistan, Shirkat Gah,…

Under Aawaz-II, the Foundation assisted the British Council to organize a Training of Trainers, which was attended by 25 staff of district partners in Punjab and KP. The training helped participants become more familiar with the purpose and functions of the Aawaz Aagahi Centre (AAC), and its connections with parallel Aawaz structures. Specifically, the training achieved the following objectives: Clarified objectives, management structures and protocols of AACs Improved knowledge & information on AAC functions: activities…

To better understand Aawaz-II’s themes of Child Labour, GBV and Early/Forced Marriages, the Foundation assisted the British Council to organize a Training of Trainers. About 20 participants from nine KP districts and the Foundation staff attended an in-depth and engaging training that aimed to: Enhance facilitators’ understanding of Aawaz-II’s focus on inclusion, awareness and behaviour change. Equip forum facilitators with knowledge of Aawaz-II’s thematic areas, enabling them to promote change through Aawaz Forums. Provide master facilitators…

The Foundation has consistently tried to contribute to efforts of preventing the spread of Covid-19. The following provide some highlights: March 2020: The Foundation designed and implemented a public service campaign to help people adopt protective measures against Covid-19. Messages were displayed on billboards and banners across 12 KP districts. This campaign was supported by the European Union by diverting funds from its ongoing project; Citizen Engagement for Responsive & Accountable Governance. March 2020: The…

Four team members of the Foundation were among 37 researchers from 25 countries who attended an online training on the new, 25-indicator COVID-19 module of the Open Budget Survey which supplements the core OBS questionnaire with an assessment of the transparency of emergency fiscal measures and budgets that governments have used to respond to the many consequences of COVID 19. The module has 26 indicators, multiple parts and 26 questions. Part 1 is about an overview of the Covid-19 module, Part-2 consists of the detail of fiscal policy,…

The Foundation with a team of media experts produced an 8-episode series of talk shows: Tabdeeli Awam Se (People-Driven Change) which were telecast on Capital TV. These shows helped discuss various aspects and experiences from the Foundation’s project: Citizen Engagement for Responsive & Accountability Governance (2017-20) funded by the EU. The programmes covered topics like pro-poor planning, people’s priorities, democracy beyond elections, and citizen-state interaction through mechanisms like khuli kutcheries.

CERAG experiences on social accountability shared on Hum TV's popular morning show Subh Say Aagay. Live telecast on 28 August 11:15 am, repeat telecast on Saturday 29 August at 4 pm and Sunday 30 August at 6 pm. Similar appearances were made in 11 more TV shows including: Rising Pakistan, morning show hosted by Mr. Tauseeq Haider on PTV, Do Raaye, talk show hosted by Mr. Asad Rahim Khan on Dawn News, and, Geo Parliament,…

To commemorate the International Day of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Aawaz II organised a provincial consultation on the State of the Rights of the Differently-Abled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The event highlighted issues faced by the Differently-Abled and also provided opportunities to relevant government representatives to share information on steps taken for promoting the rights and welfare of citizens who are differently-abled. At the event, Aawaz II’s Digital App: Equal Access was also launched. This mobile application is a platform…

The webinars were organized around the core theme of making people, budgets and grassroots issues the center of public and policy debate. Special flaps were created and webinars were duly publicized on social media platforms. This generated tremendous interest and feedback. Again this created a new niche in social media work because most of these webinars are either theoretical discussions or too divorced from serious issues. These webinars used CERAG data and integrated them into…

With technical expertise of Uks Research Centre, the Foundation produced and broadcast 15 radio programmes projecting good practices in budget transparency and social accountability from its project: Citizen Engagement for Responsive & Accountable Governance (2017-20), funded by the EU.  The programmes had a nationwide outreach: aired on 14 FM-101 stations of Abbottabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Peshawar, D. I. Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Quetta (Balochistan), Karachi, Hyderabad (Sindh), Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, (Punjab), Gilgit and Islamabad.  “With the…

The Foundation presented its budget analysis and social accountability actions at a meeting chaired by KP’s Additional Chief Secretary, Mr. Shakeel Qadir Khan. Senior officers of the P&D, representatives of the SNG-II Programme, Mr. Ismail Khan, Editor-DAWN and the Foundation staff attended the meeting. The ACS was very appreciative of the Foundation’s data and analysis. He commented that the information generated by the budget analysis is relevant and timely. The social accountability experiences are also…

The Foundation maintains consistent contact with Mr. Ismail Khan, a senior journalist and Editor-DAWN in Peshawar. He is particularly interested in the Foundation’s budget analysis, showing distribution of development funds to districts. Mr. Khan participated in the meeting with the ACS and senior officials of the P&DD in Peshawar on 22 December 2020. Discussing chronically poor districts, he pointed out that some fail to get development benefits despite strong political representation.

Key messages from the Foundation’s analysis of public budgets were communicated through a series of 30 texts developed in Urdu and English. They were sent to more than 3,000 recipients including CSO partners, government officials, public representatives, journalists, academics, activists, donors, etc., in KP and across Pakistan. The Foundation’s texts were widely appreciated. They were referred as an effective source of public information in an online training on citizen engagement organized by the Sub-National Governance Programme, which in its second phase continues to assist…

Lahore/Islamabad Ten activists from Abbottabad, Haripur, Mardan, Nowshera and Peshawar along with two Foundation staff attended a training of trainers on KP’s LG system, role, structure & budget on 5-6 November 2020 in Lahore. Subsequently, on 21 November 2020, planning to share information and understanding in local communities was completed in Islamabad. Trained activists held community-level meetings in November-December 2020 so that people become more familiar with KP’s local government system.

Mr. Rashid recalled his association with Omar Asghar Khan and mentioned that he had attended a meeting in Abbottabad on his invitation. Mr. Rashid was interested in the Foundation’s Cerag experiences, especially the stories it has generated. He said it was important to celebrate individual and collective agency of the poor.

The Foundation’s budget analysis and social accountability work was shared with Mr. Jehanzeb Khan, Deputy Chair-Planning Commission in a meeting held at his office in Islamabad. Mr. Khan showed great interest in the proposed PFC for KP and shared information on the Planning Commission’s efforts on this with provinces. The Punjab PFC was discussed, work on which was led by Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha (former Punjab Minister of Finance). It was agreed that creative thinking…

The Foundation’s experiences in budget analysis and social accountability were discussed with Mr. Murtaza Solangi. He took keen interest in them, particularly citizen efforts for improving services like education, health, etc. Mr. Solangi explained that Naya Daur will focus on public interest news. He shared that Naya Daur is keen to collaborate with organizations like the Foundation and would like to sign an MOU.

Mr. Salman Masood, a well-respected journalist, who writes for the New York Times & is the Editor of The Nation was introduced to the Foundation’s budget analysis and social accountability work. He was showed interest in innovations and outreach of the Foundation’s work. Current stories from Swat were compared with those that dominated headlines earlier. Local government, its pros and cons, and its importance in increasing citizen engagement in governance was also reviewed.

The Foundation’s work on social accountability and its potential in improving the delivery of quality education was discussed with Mr. Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, Additional Secretary, Education at a meeting in his office in Islamabad on 8 December 2020. Mr. Wani was interested in the social accountability experiences, though it was agreed that citizen involvement, especially in poor areas, often focuses on material issues and not on quality of education. Mr. Wani requested for a brief…