Democracy, Human Rights , and Governance

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the Government of Pakistan, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the people of Pakistan to promote greater acceptance of religious, gender, political, and social diversity and to enhance social cohesion. 

SECTOR BACKGROUND 

USAID is committed to strengthening democratic processes in Pakistan by promoting accountable governance, stability, and resilience. These approaches enhance the performance of government institutions, and engage civil society and the private sector to improve service delivery, peacebuilding, and civic participation in politics and governance. Activities engage diverse groups to strengthen democratic values and promote social, ethnic, and religious tolerance.  

SECTOR PRIORITIES 

DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL PROCESSES AND INSTITUTIONS 

USAID enhances the foundation of democracy by strengthening the capacity and integrity of electoral and legislative institutions.  Activities increase citizen participation in political and electoral processes to improve representative democracy.  This inclusive approach promotes more credible electoral and political processes at the national and sub-national level. USAID also promotes greater inclusion of women, minorities and marginalized populations in elections and political processes. 

CITIZEN-RESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE  

In partnership with government counterparts, USAID supports increased accountability, transparency and public trust in institutions by building capacity, effectiveness and outreach of institutions. USAID’s activities focus on the supply and demand for democratic governance by building institutional capacity to deliver services on all levels of government and by promoting active citizen participation in governance. This comprehensive approach builds government capacity to develop citizen-responsive policies and budgets, and empowers citizens to articulate their needs. USAID also promotes climate resilience by strengthening water governance, and building capacity of national, provincial and district disaster management authorities to plan for and respond to disasters

HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL INCLUSION 

USAID focuses on the protection of human rights and promotion of citizens’ voices as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  USAID takes a holistic approach to human rights by supporting measures to prevent violence, conflict, and extremism, and promote social inclusion. USAID aims to prevent human rights abuses–particularly among marginalized populations including gender, religious and ethnic minorities--by strengthening implementation of legal frameworks, promoting government-to-civil society engagement, and promoting public awareness of human rights. 

KEY RESULTS 

• Assisted over 200 civil society organizations in Pakistan since 2010, transforming the lives of more than 2 million people by supporting remote and underserved communities.  USAID has improved women's access to justice, promoted peacebuilding, and increased civic participation in local decision-making.
• Established the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services, an independent, first-of-its-kind research and training facility for parliamentarians and staff in Islamabad. The institute has trained more than 800 parliamentarians and staff and conducted hundreds of research projects on policy issues for members of parliament.
• Facilitated over 1.5 million women to obtain national ID cards, enabling them to vote, open bank accounts, and access government services. Since March 2023, an additional 36,589 women, persons with disabilities, and religious minorities were registered in the flood-affected communities, expanding social protection services to vulnerable populations. 
• Provided health, legal, and counseling services to approximately 61,000 female survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and supported the Federal Ministry of Human Rights to train 196 public prosecutors on laws protecting women's rights and GBV survivors. 
• Trained over 26,000 youth in countering extremist narratives by implementing small-scale community development projects.  Thirty percent of the trainees continue to take action against violent extremism without USAID funding.