Social accountability for better public services. Abbottabad

Omar Asghar Khan Foundation assisted 17 women leaders and 12 male allies from 13 CSOs of District Abbottabad to present about 100 public petitions demanding improvements in schools, roads and other public services in a series of six meetings with senior district government officials of the education, health and social welfare departments as well as with the Mayor of Tehsil Abbottabad. These public petitions were prepared as part of the Social Accountability Plans (SAPs) pursued by local activists trained by the Foundation in using social accountability to improve citizen engagement in governance. These efforts are part of the Foundation’s project: Fempower Pakistan. “We are now skilled in identifying what changes are needed in public services and ways in which we can approach the government to demand them,” said a local woman leader.

The government officials and Mayor Abbottabad promised to take appropriate action in response to the petitions. They appreciated the efforts made by the women leaders and male allies in identifying ways in which public service delivery may be improved in the district. “Together citizens and elected public representatives and the government can ensure better public services bring positive change in the lives of citizens,” said a senior government official.