Promoting gender equality in decision-making in Pakistan
In Pakistan, an UNDEF project is working to enhance women’s rights, participation, and gender equality in decision-making processes. Implemented by The Youth Association for Development (YAD), the project works to complement government efforts to increase women’s participation in elections through advocacy to change social norms and practices that limit women’s participation in public life. At the same time, it works to further influence the policy landscape to facilitate women’s increased participation. Focusing on Baluchistan province, it uses research to document the situation of women in the province and use this evidence in legislative and policy advocacy. Through training and technical support, it builds the advocacy capacity of women’s organizations and the receptiveness of duty bearers. Through public debate and the use of the arts it seeks to build popular support for women’s political participation and leadership.
Since January 2022, the project has produced a Quetta gender analysis document and created two Democratic Action Groups (DAGs), mobilizing 36 like-minded women and men to promote women’s participation in decision-making processes. The DAG members conducted cascade trainings on gender equality and women’s empowerment, reaching 542 women and men through focus group discussions, gender equality, and community surveys.