Background

AAWAZ-Voice and Accountability a five-year (2012 to 2017) Programme is striving to strengthen stable, inclusive and tolerant democracy in Pakistan. The Programme views democracy through a gender lens, and intends to contribute to women’s political empowerment, resolution of conflicts across the communities that it works with, and better public service delivery in the areas of health and education through informed and active engagement of citizens. AAWAZ is being managed by Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI) and implemented by Pakistan’s prime civil society organizations: Aurat Foundation (AF), South-Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK), Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), Sungi Development Foundation (SDF) and Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). 

Between 2012 and 2017, AAWAZ will work in at least 7000 villages and urban settlements across 45 districts in Pakistan’s two provinces of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). During the first year, in all targeted areas community forums will be established at village, UC, Tehsil and District, provincial and National Level. AAWAZ Programme providing space and opportunity to marginalized and vulnerable communities to raise their issues and concerns from bottom to top level decision making institutions and also providing space to initiate national and provincial level advocacy on current citizen’ issues and thematic areas.

 The ANF envisioned as a national forum will serve as a strategic platform to strategize on key reform areas and provide technical input for promoting women’s political participation, ending violence against women and gender-based legislation, as well as peaceful resolution of conflicts and citizens’ engagement for effective service delivery under main AAWAZ themes in consultation with similar provincial forums and different stakeholders.