SPO is successfully implementing its project titled “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Programme” with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The programme started in 2025 and is ongoing, and is being implemented in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Districts: Nowshera, Peshawar, Swabi, Malakand, Buner, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, D.I. Khan, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Lower Chitral, Upper Chitral) as well as in Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The objective of the programme is to strengthen state institutions and enhance community resilience to effectively prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), promote women’s empowerment, and expand equitable opportunities for women, particularly in leadership and decision-making roles. Through a multi-sectoral approach, SPO supports the strengthening of GBV coordination mechanisms across intervention areas, including the establishment of provincial GBV task forces, service mapping, and institutional capacity assessments of health facilities, police units, shelters, and GBV courts. These efforts contribute to the development and updating of survivor-centred referral pathways and strengthen accountability, community engagement, Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), grievance redress mechanisms (GRM), and capacity building for service providers, with a special focus on vulnerable groups, especially women and refugees.

SPO is establishing and operating Women and Girls Friendly Spaces (WGFS) to provide Afghan refugees and host communities with access to GBV information, psycho-social support, life skills development, and service linkages. In KP and Punjab, SPO leads extensive community outreach and capacity-building initiatives for service providers, emphasizing domestic violence laws, women protection frameworks, and GBV/SEA-sensitive communication. The programme also supports the operational continuity of state-run GBV helplines in Punjab and Islamabad through human resource facilitation and the integration of disability-inclusive approaches to ensure broader accessibility. In addition, SPO implements a Media Fellowship Programme at national and provincial levels to strengthen ethical communication and reporting on GBV and child marriage. Through strong monitoring, visibility, and technical support systems, the programme ensures quality, accountability, and sustainability, contributing to a more inclusive, accessible, and rights-based ecosystem for GBV prevention, response, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services across Pakistan.