Aawaz Voice and Accountabilty Program

The aim of AAWAZ programming is to nurture and strengthen democratic processes from the grassroots. Each Consortium A partner is responsible for delivering all three outputs in their designated districts in order to maximize integration. At the provincial level, Consortium A partners will form coalitions for advocacy and action on priorities and issues that are raised from the grass roots tiers and require provincial, or even federal, level attention for resolution.

Our programme interventions and activities will be integrated to achieve Outputs 1, 2 and 3:

• Output 1: Women’s safe participation in political and public spheres
• Output 2: Peaceful resolution of disputes and working together for common solutions
• Output 3: Capacity building of citizens for constructively voicing demands for services and holding government accountable for its performance in service delivery

Activities under these three outputs will contribute to and be strengthened by Output 4:

• Output 4: Improved evidence generated, synthesized, and communicated/championed to political leaders

In order to integrate activities, we will support various structures that help citizens and communities to organize at the village, union council, tehsiland district levels. We will work through Community based Organizations (CBOs) or Partner Organizations (POs) of Consortium A partners, which had been well trained by the Consortium partners over the years. They will first map out existing structures and assess their suitability for our programming needs against a set of criteria needed for conducting the programming to the required standards. To the maximum extent possible, we will use existing structures and work with them to develop their capacity to meet the required criteria. If suitable structures do not exist, we will facilitate to form new structures.

The first tier is at the village/town/settlement level, called the AAWAZ Forum. The second tier is at union council level called the AAWAZ UC Forum. The third tier is at the Tehsil level, called AAWAZ Tehsil Forum. At the district level, we have fourth tier, the AAWAZ District Forum. Each of these structures will have three distinct roles to perform in view of the AAWAZ outputs.

Following are some of the areas which primarily cut across and common to proposed structures at all tiers.

Composition and Functions of AAWAZ Forum

AAWAZ Forum shall comprise of 15-18 males and females. This is a basic programming tier. It should include at least 3 representatives from the School Management Committee/ School Council if there is any government school functional in the village/neighbourhood/settlement. Besides a collective forum for individual participation, AAWAZ Forum shall perform three fundamental tasks regarding program Output 1, 2 and 3. These are:

• Women’s Political Participation:AAWAZ Forum will be responsible for undertaking activities and producing results concerning women’s safe and effective participation in political and public spheres.
• Dispute/Conflict Resolutionand Social Cohesion: This role asks from the AAWAZ Forum to promote peace, tolerance and social cohesion to support peaceful resolution of disputes and collaboration within and among communities for common solutions.
• Social Services/SamajiKhidmat: This role requires from the AAWAZ Forum to voice priorities and hold government accountable for adequate service delivery, especially in health and education sectors, and other sectors that the local population wants to work on.

Following are the minimum Terms of Reference (ToR) of the AAWAZ Forum to achieve results for each output at the grassroots level with three distinct roles to be performed. However, some of the mentioned tasks can only be done once the forum members receive trainings.

Women’s Political Participation

Create awareness on women-friendly laws especially those recently passed. In addition, they will sensitize local communities about different provisions available in the Constitution and law (Pakistan penal code) through dialogues, discussions, women’s assemblies- rallies that will inform, educate and mobilize communities in village/town/settlements.

Exhibit spirit of women related laws including Women’s Protection Bill, Land Right, etc. through day to day activities to create understanding among communities for women dignity and wellbeing as fundamental right. The activities will be conducted through focus group discussions, corner meetings, rallies, fairs/festivals, sportsevents, interactive theater shows, religious festivals and celebrations, etc.

• Creating demand from communities for the implementation of the women friendly laws.
• Inform women and excluded groups about their rights and empower them toseek justice through rights-based formal and informal structures
• Act as focal point for referrals related to issues addressing cases of violence (referrals for services like shelters, counseling, legal aid and filing of cases for accessing justice
• Create awareness and demand of increased women’s political participation and encourage women to participate in electoral processes as voters and candidates and agents of change in addressing election dispute resolution
• Creating space for marginalized groups to participate especially women, minorities and other deprived segments freely in the political processes
• Encourage and create space for women to hold decision making positions in political parties and political organizations
• Maintain record of working group meetings and sharing it at different forums
• Participate in different forums organized under Aawaz program like rallies, women assemblies, fairs/melas and festivals
• Participate in meetings conducted with different political parties and organizations
• Feed the Aawaz UC, tehsil and District Forums with adequate and relevant information to facilitate and enable apex bodies to design and undertake advocacy activities

Dispute /Conflict Resolution and Social Cohesion

Pre-empt disputes and conflict by creating space in the locality, through dialogue, discussions and other support activities which reduce and eliminate risk of conflict among groups, clans, ethnic, sectarian and religious groups.Promote the utility of formal conflict resolution forums including police and other LEAs through day to day activities that facilitate and generate confidence among communities to approach formal institutions. Coordinate and interact with relevant institutions at local level to build communities’ trust and understanding of processes in conflict resolution.

Informlocal communities about different provisions available in the law (Pakistan Penal Codefor example).In case of gross violation of the law, and, where possible, assist and facilitate conflicting factions by providing information aboutservices available with different authorities and institutions which are responsible of protection, security and conflict resolution.Educate people about tolerance, harmony and social cohesionand the impact of these values on social, political and economic context of the village/town/settlement.Maintain record of important events/cases of conflict resolution efforts Feed the AAWAZ UC, Tehsil and District Forums with relevant information to enable those structures in designing and undertaking advocacy activities

AAWAZ Social Services/SamajiKhidmat

• Create awareness among communities by conducting dialogues, discussions and other support activities, that inform, educate and mobilize public support about the performance of local provisions of health and education
• Support and strengthen constructive participation of communities at all stages of development phases i.e., planning, implementing, monitoring.
• Primary data collection at community level. Support in identifying, analyzing and prioritizing needs by the communities at large to create demand for adequate and effective provision of services especially in health and education sectors by ensuring engagement of local stakeholders
• Facilitate inclusive development village level plan for adequate and effective service deliveries with community, local duty bearers and other stakeholders
• Act as monitoring committee for education and health facilities being provided by government. Evaluate them and hold relevant authorities accountable in case of poor delivery.
• Activate and/or mobilize the village/town/settlement School Management Committee/ School Council.
• Regularly liaison with the local duty bearers responsible for services at the village level and strive for improved facilities
• Maintain record of important events/cases of conflict resolution efforts
• Provide UC, Tehsil and District AAWAZ Forums with adequate and relevant information to enable them design and undertake advocacy activities.