How can local Women’s Rights Organisations benefit from the pledge to channel 25% of global humanitarian funding to groups like theirs when they haven’t even heard of it? Sarah Zafar and Shahnawaz Ali on insights from conversations with Pakistani WROs into what they need to flourish.
In the small town of Mirpurkhas in Sindh, southern Pakistan, strict patriarchal rules have long dictated the lives of women from both Hindu and Muslim communities. But today, visitors will see a subtle yet profound transformation: girls once confined to their homes now confidently riding bikes to school.
This modest yet significant advance in women’s mobility – offering dependable transport in areas where public options are scarce or fraught with danger – has been spearheaded by the Advocacy, Research, Training & Services (ARTS) Foundation, a local Women’s Rights Organisation (WRO) and a partner in the Global Affairs Canada-funded Women’s Voice and Leadership – Pakistan programme.
Like ARTS, Oxfam Pakistan has strategically selected partners deeply rooted in grassroots communities as part of the emergency and early recovery phases for its 2022 Flood Response, in accordance with Grand Bargain and Charter for Change (C4C) commitments.
Why local Women’s Rights Organisations must take the lead
Small, local WROs play a key role within their communities. Formed and led by women who themselves have struggled against patriarchal norms of their families and communities, they are uniquely positioned to advocate for women’s issues from the grassroots all the way to the higher chambers of power, such as Parliament. In Pakistan, WROs have joined social movements that have resulted in the passing of critical pro-women laws and policies.
One WRO representative told us: ‘’We have a saying at our organisation, ‘once anyone boards our trains, they never disembark’. We create deep connections with our programme participants. When a woman is thrown out of her house by an abusive husband in the middle of the night, it is us she will call, and we will make sure her dignity is restored and she finds a safe place to stay.”
Crucially, women’s rights groups and WROs can play a pivotal role in ensuring that humanitarian responses are safe and inclusive for women and children. “WROs are crucial in emergencies. They can mobilise youth and community groups who are often the first responders. Yet, somehow, during emergencies, WROs are not prioritised as a key stakeholder,” a WRO representative told us.
Time to build grassroots awareness of the Grand Bargain and Charter for Change
Many more grassroots organisations in Pakistan should be benefiting from The Grand Bargain, an agreement made at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, which sets a global target of directing at least 25% of humanitarian funding to local and national responders by 2020.
In the 2022 flood response, Oxfam Pakistan not only met but exceeded this target, directing over 65% of direct funding to its local humanitarian partners. But the broader picture suggests there is a long way to go before many organisations feel the impact of this pledge.
In fact, our conversations in consultation meetings with WROs held in Karachi and Lahore revealed that WROs were largely unaware of the Grand Bargain and C4C and how these could be leveraged to advance women’s rights work in Pakistan. This suggests a disconnect between the global pledges and the key stakeholders in the localisation agenda – an oversight that must be addressed to ensure that humanitarian responses are truly effective for women, particularly in the context of Pakistan.
The conversations were held for Oxfam’s project, “Partnership for Influencing Climate Justice Agenda –Anticipatory DRR, Climate Financing, and Localisation of CCA in Pakistan”, led by its partner the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). The May 2024 forums discussed the opportunities that could arise if the commitments of the Grand Bargain and Charter for Change (C4C) were fulfilled, particularly in light of the shrinking presence of INGOs and the high likelihood of recurrent emergencies in Pakistan.
The funding challenge: competition with bigger NGOs and bureaucracy
The need for more funding and proper implementation of the Grand Bargain and C4C was made clear by WROs who told us getting funding was a major obstacle.
Despite the trust that communities place in their local WROs, these organisations often face a lack of confidence from INGOs when it comes to receiving and managing funds. “We often do not even hear about openings or calls for proposals. By the time we apply, some other bigger NGO has already received the funding,” said one WRO member from Punjab. Smaller WROs face extra hurdles with complex grant applications, reporting templates, and the bureaucratic maze of obtaining government certifications.
Time to reduce dependence on INGOs
The consultation participants also highlighted the need to make WROs and grassroots women-led movements self-sufficient, reducing their dependence on funding from international NGOs (INGOs). They said achieving this goal would require investment in their institutional capacities.
“We have a great passion to learn and improve our systems. It’s like the saying, ‘Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day, but teach them how to fish, and you feed them for life.’ If INGOs provide training on safeguarding and child protection in emergencies, we will be better prepared. After all, we are often the first to reach and respond with whatever resources we have,” said another participant.
WROs and other NGOs also voiced their frustration over the lack of recognition for their work by larger INGOs. “During the COVID pandemic, it was the members of local Community-Based Organisations who risked their lives to carry out awareness and protection programs, and yet their work went unrecognised,” said a participant from Lahore.
At the frontline of conflict, disaster and climate change
Recognition of WROs work in Pakistan is richly deserved as they navigate a landscape scarred by conflict and increasing vulnerability to disasters, coupled with low social indicators. They must also operate under significant government and social pressures, as they face shrinking civic space and repression,
A participant from Sindh, representing women fisherfolk, also raised the pressing challenges posed by climate change and the urgent need to safeguard women from its escalating threats. “We are at the forefront of the climate threat, and we possess an intimate understanding of our geographies and our waters. With some technical and financial support, we can devise better solutions to these problems,” she said.
The start of a bigger conversation about local leadership
Clearly, we need a roadmap to empower grassroots organisations in Pakistan and deliver on local humanitarian leadership. That’s why Oxfam and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) are organising more roundtables and discussions to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including civil society organisations, local and international NGOs, policy experts, and government representatives.
The aim is to promote collaborative dialogue on the localisation agenda in Pakistan, ultimately producing a report that explores the intricacies of localisation, its challenges, and the potential it holds for enhancing the effectiveness of humanitarian and development work within the country. Look out for more on this in future blogs.
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