Pakistan

GOVERNANCE, LAW, AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Pakistan is a country of great potential, though itcontinues to face serious challenges in governance,security, internal cohesion, and social and eco-nomic reform. But in 2013 the country experi-enced its first democratic transition from oneelected federal government to another; it is alsoworking through the consequences of devolvingresponsibilities to the provincial level, and deter-mining the nature and powers of sub-provincialgovernments. In Pakistan, The Asia Foundation’sefforts focus primarily on bridging the gapbetween citizens and government; fosteringhuman rights and social inclusion, especially forwomen; and building the capacity of Pakistaniinstitutions to meet local and national develop-ment needs.

SUPPORTING TRANSPARENCY,

ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ELECTORAL

PROCESSES IN PAKISTAN (STAEP)

STAEP commenced in 2009 in collaborationwith the Free and Fair Elections Network(FAFEN), a coalition of 42 member organizationsacross Pakistan, to build trust and credibilitybetween citizens and the state. To achieve its overall goal of supporting transparency andaccountability, STAEP works with ConstituencyRelations Groups (CRGs) to improve perfor-

mance of elected representatives and public institutions through robust monitoring, ensureelections are inclusive and peaceful, and enhancethe capacity of FAFEN organizations to vigilantlymonitor governance issues. STAEP now has presence in 200 National Assembly constituenciesnationwide and has engaged actively with politicalparties through cross party consultations on thecode of conduct for elections and trainings ofpolitical parties on the 18th Amendment.

STAEP’s role in the 2013 General Elections wasparticularly significant. Through the program,nearly 300,000 citizens were issued computerizednational identity cards, enabling them to exercisetheir constitutional right to vote, and female votereducation initiatives were launched in more than500 polling areas resulting in an increase ofwomen voter turnout in some areas by as much as70 percent. STAEP also led rigorous efforts tosustain citizens’ involvement in the entire elec-toral process, including deploying nearly 40,000volunteers to conduct, pre-, post, and ElectionDay observation across the country, and makingrecommendations for reforms in the legal frame-work governing elections in Pakistan.

Based on the success of the program, STAEPreceived an eight-month extension focusing onconsolidating citizens’ groups by linking them

Books for Asia

provides Pakistan

with up to 90,000

books each year.

In Pakistan,

The Asia Foundation’s

efforts focus primarily

on bridging the gap

between citizens and

government; fostering

human rights and

social inclusion,

especially for women;

and building the

capacity of Pakistani

institutions.

Through a continuous presence in Pakistan since 1954, The Asia Foundation has developed deep tiesand valuable expertise on local, regional, and international issues. With a staff that is almost entirelyPakistani, and an extensive network of local and regional partners in both government and civil society,the Foundation’s projects reach throughout the country, and range from large, nationwide programs tovery small, local initiatives.

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@asiafound-dc.org

PAKISTANP.O. Box 1165Islamabad, PakistanTel: + 92 (51) 265-0523Fax: + 92 (51) 265-0736tafpk@asiafound.org

www.asiafoundation.org

01/2014

the-ground advocacy programs havebeen initiated to bridge the gap between local communities and the state in helping resolve conflict issues prevalentin the region.

BOOKS FOR ASIA

Since the 1950s, The Asia Foundation’sBooks for Asia program has providedmore than three million books toPakistani organizations including thoseserving students and marginalized groups,as well as many other nonprofit organi-zations. In recent years, Books for Asia has pro-vided Pakistan with up to 90,000 books each year,donated by American publishers, with the bulkdistributed to institutions in Sindh. This year The Asia Foundation in Pakistan initiated publicity events such as book fairs in various academic institutions to highlight the Books for

Asia program, and encourage reading amongyounger students. Books for Asia successfullyforged a new partnership with the Institute ofBusiness Management, while continuing toexplore possible linkages with external projectsand identifying new innovations for the program.

The Asia Foundation

is a nonprofit international

development organization

committed to improving

lives across a dynamic

and developing Asia.

Headquartered in San

Francisco, The Asia

Foundation works through

a network of offices in

18 Asian countries and in

Washington, DC. Working

with public and private

partners, the Foundation

receives funding from

a diverse group of

bilateral and multilateral

development agencies,

foundations, corporations,

and individuals.

PAKISTAN

In Pakistan, The Asia Foundation's recent donors include the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the British High Commission, the UKDepartment for International Development (DFID), The Rockefeller Foundation, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, United States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID), and United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

with other voice and accountabilityinitiatives; strengthening parliamen-tary oversight by citizens; increasingcitizens’ engagement in observing by-elections, and continuing toaddress the anticipated electoral assis-tance needs of the socially excluded,the marginalized, and women so thatthey can participate fully and effec-tively in the electoral process.

CITIZENS’ VOICE PROJECT

The Citizen’s Voice Project (CVP)was initiated in 2011 in collabora-tion with the Trust for DemocraticEducation Accountability andAnjum Asim Shahid Rahman-Grant Thornton toimprove governance systems in Pakistan by enhancingpeople-state relations. The project utilizes multi-prongedstrategies to contribute to the overall goal of encouragingcitizens to articulate their demands and influence publicdecisions. CVP follows a competitive process throughwhich funds are awarded to Pakistani organizations toundertake programs that increase citizens’ voice and stateresponsiveness. CVP’s prime thematic areas include energy sector reform, economic growth, municipal services, and governance. In the lead up to the 2013General Elections, local partners focused on advocacy forthe Eighteenth Amendment, effective local governmentsystems, higher female voter turnout and free, fair, andpeaceful elections. Under the project’s capacity buildingcomponent, more than 100 civil society organizationshave been trained on strengthening citizens’ voice andaccountability, designing performance managementplans, and management of nonprofit organizations.

HUMAN RIGHTS FUND (PHASE II I )

Now in its third phase, the Human Rights Fund continues to enhance the capacity of Pakistani civil society organizations to promote and protect humanrights; under Phase III, the focus is specifically on rightsof expression, assembly, association, and thought(REAT), including religious freedoms. The program willset up an early warning system and a network of rightsdefenders in 10 districts where minorities are most vul-nerable. In its first year, the project completed a baselinestudy to assess current trends of human rights violationsin select districts; established a REAT network of 23proactive member organizations committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of religiousminorities; and initiated the development of an earlywarning system, an increasingly recognized mechanism

for ensuring timely surveillance of anticipated threats andviolence against religious minorities, helping triggerprompt public response to, forestall, or prepare for danger.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Access to justice is vital for citizens to assert and protecttheir fundamental human rights, including freedom ofassociation, assembly, expression, and religion. AlthoughPakistan’s constitution provides for these basic rights,vulnerable populations have very limited capacity toexercise and ensure the protection of their fundamentalrights. The Access to Justice Project was developed tocomplement The Asia Foundation’s Human Rights Fundinitiatives. Ten districts are targeted across all fourprovinces, where significant rights violations againstwomen and minorities have been reported. The projectimproves access to justice and human rights through theprovision of efficient, cost effective legal assistance andprotection for these vulnerable populations. TheFoundation partners with Lawyers for Human Rightsand Legal Aid and Pakistan Institute of Labor Educationand Research to address the critical gaps in demand and

supply for quality legal aid services in the targeted districts. This will be achieved through a two-prongedapproach to increase citizens’ knowledge of the lawswhich protect their fundamental freedoms, andstrengthen the capacity of existing legal aid centers that provide legal services to those whose rights havebeen violated.

By the end of the project, it is anticipated that there willbe more frequent demand for efficient, cost-effectivelegal aid services among vulnerable groups in the targetdistricts; legal aid centers will be able to provide a broadrange of legal services that are appropriate and relevantto the needs of vulnerable populations; and members ofthe local community, police, legal aid workers, and localgovernment bodies will demonstrate improved knowl-edge of and positive behaviors toward the fundamentalrights of vulnerable populations.

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

GENDER EQUITY PROGRAM Since 2010, The Asia Foundation, in partnership withthe Aurat Foundation have implemented the GenderEquity Program (GEP), aimed at enhancing genderequity in Pakistan where women are often unable torealize their human rights or are actively prevented fromdoing so, and where they face gender-based violence,marginalization, and suppression. Currently completingits third year, GEP is now globally recognized and laud-ed for promoting societal demand for and commitmentto a caring and gender-responsive society in Pakistan.Specifically, the project works with local civil society

organizations that advocate for gender equity, academicresearch and training institutions, media, professionaland business associations, as well as key governmentinstitutions, across the 104 districts of Pakistan toexpand women's access to justice, increase women’sempowerment, and combat gender-based violence. GEPprojects have included rehabilitating women’s livelihoodsafter the 2010 floods, raising awareness of women’srights among key stakeholders, improving facilities atgovernment-run safe houses, sensitizing media onwomen’s issues, and engaging with the NationalCommission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on policy-level research. A series of linked sub-grants havealso been awarded to facilitate survivors of gender-basedviolence through provision of a seamless service model.This has included support to private shelters, help lines,and providers of economic rehabilitation as well as psychosocial and legal counseling.

GEP has now formalized the high-profileNational Advisory Forum (NAF) whichbrings together key players working for gender equality in Pakistan, including topgovernment dignitaries, and provides broadpolicy guidelines to GEP while reinforcingthe government of Pakistan’s internationalcommitments on the issue. By engaging with relevant stakeholders across the spectrum, GEP is helping open up space and opportunities for the advancement ofwomen’s rights, both at the policy level as well as within communities.

SUPPORTING PEACE AND STABILITY

The Asia Foundation and the UKDepartment for International Development(DFID) have established a ProgramPartnership Arrangement (PPA) to supportpeace and stability through improved

state-society relations. The Foundation is supportingprograms in six Asian countries that are experiencingviolent conflict and fragility, or have recently emergedfrom long-running conflicts. In Pakistan, the project isconducting a political economy analysis to understandthe drivers of conflict in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Swat district was selected as the target area of interven-tion based on results of a preliminary research conducted in two potential conflict areas in Pakistan.A follow-up research study will gauge the underlyingcauses of conflict and violence in Swat, by investigatingland-related disputes and linkages with current militancyand conflict in the district. Parallel to the research, on-