Advancing women's rights
Our long-standing relationship with a committed local foundation has evolved into a catalyst for women's empowerment
This year, the Aurat Foundation, one of Pakistan's leading women's rights organizations, partnered with us to seize the opportunity to advance women's rights and empowerment in Pakistan through its successful bid to manage USAID's new five-year, $40 million national Gender Equity Program (GEP). Founded in 1986, Aurat Foundation (aurat means "woman" in Urdu) is at the forefront of the struggle for women's empowerment in Pakistan. Building on our collaboration with the organization since the late 1990s, Asia Foundation staff are now working day-to-day alongside Aurat staff in a new GEP team, which draws on Aurat's extraordinary asset—one of the largest and most robust district-level networks of voluntary citizens groups and organizations—across nearly all districts of Pakistan. In a country where most women remain disadvantaged, the program will increase women's economic opportunities, expand access to justice and human rights, and combat violence against women. It will also strengthen the capacity of other Pakistani organizations that advocate and work for gender equity.