TDEA implemented a Women’s Enjoyment of Rights, Empowerment, and Leadership (WE’RE Leaders) project. WE’RE Leaders’ outcome was to increase political empowerment and enjoyment of rights by women, particularly young and marginalized women and those at risk, in Pakistan. The project was implemented in 20 districts in partnership with member organizations of the Free and Fair Election Network. The project employed a multi-pronged approach to enhance women’s civil and political participation by strengthening the democratic institutions and statutory commissions through technical support and enhancing demand for greater political participation of women through building capacities of political workers, civil society actors, media, and citizens. The project has contributed towards improved political empowerment and enjoyment of rights by women by bolstering their leadership capabilities, empowering them as political workers and leaders, and educating them as citizens conscientious of their rights. Through partnerships with (region and district-based) local chapters of political parties, the project effectively engaged and trained women political workers, polling agents, and candidates helping them to successfully claim leadership positions within their parties and become members of elected assemblies and local councils.

Duration: April 2019 – March 2023

Funding Agency: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

TDEA implemented a Citizens’ Voice Project (CVP) funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its primary aim was to enable civil society organizations (CSOs) in Pakistan to harness citizens’ potential for strengthening public accountability – a prerequisite for improved governance. CVP was unique in its design and approach towards a plethora of complex governance challenges related to accountability, transparency, and responsiveness. The eight-year CVP awarded 364 grants and distributed funds to 227 CSOs to work in 154 districts across Pakistan’s four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. CVP rolled out 16 grant cycles in 26 multidimensional thematic areas. The project’s messages related to strengthening citizens’ voice, establishing state-citizen linkages and enhancing transparency and accountability in the governance framework have reached more than 50 million Pakistani citizens. The project’s design also provided for equipping citizens and government officials to play their respective roles in strengthening the processes and institutions of democratic governance. Towards the end, 70,791 citizens and 10,981 government officials received training to make the state-citizen linkages sustainable and meaningful.

Duration: May 2011 – December 2019

Funding Agency: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

TDEA implemented a Support to Democratic Institutions and Promotion of Human Rights in Pakistan project. The project provided capacity development and technical assistance services to advance the functioning of Pakistan parliamentary institutions, including provincial assemblies, through effective legislation, strengthened policy and budget oversight and enhanced representation. The project gave special attention to enhancing the committee system and enabling committees to monitor, review and exercise the oversight function of the executive.

Duration: November 2017 – August 2019

Funding Agency: European Union (EU)

TDEA implemented Citizens’ Action for Democratic Governance (CADG) through the support of member organizations of FAFEN, to sustain and strengthen its core programme activities and prepare for a longer-term future programming. This project built on the successes of Supporting Transparency, Accountability, and Electoral Processes in Pakistan (STAEP) programme and represented the planned core election-related programming and activities. The project supported the formation of 48 Governance Support Groups at district, regional, and provincial levels, which raised electoral demands for improved participation. As many as 4,921 citizens were trained for observing Local Government elections, and 9000 citizens were mobilized to contest elections. The programme primarily focused on developing new and strengthening existing relationships between rights-holders and duty-bearers that enabled citizens’ voices to be channelled into administrative, regulatory, and legislative reforms, resulting in improved electoral, legislative, and local governance. During the course of the project, 234 field staff, 5,912 observers, 4,170 citizen volunteers, 3,400 civil society representatives, and 6,000 local government candidates were engaged.

Duration: May 2015 – March 2016

Funding Agency: United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Former United Kingdom Department for International Development

(UK DFID)

TDEA implemented a Deepening Democracy and Electoral Support in Pakistan (DESP) project. The project contributed towards more inclusive, transparent, and responsive democratic institutions and processes in 32 districts of Pakistan. DESP Project achievements included improvement of public perception regarding the performance of democratic governments through observation of by-elections, conduct of advocacy for transparent, accountable, and responsive electoral rules, mapping of electoral and political violence, assessment of voters list for completeness and accuracy, and advocacy for citizen and voter registration of women and minorities. The project focused on continued oversight of electoral and parliamentary processes and evidence-based advocacy for improved enforcement of existing statutes and legal and policy reforms through proactive engagement with political parties, parliamentarians, the Election Commission of Pakistan, civil society, and media. The project also sought encouragement of public debate, dialogue, and discourse to strengthen a pro-democracy narrative in the country. The project engaged 121,464 female and 8,805 male citizens, 429 people with disabilities, 22 transgender persons, 3,829 young male students, 3,133 young female students, 338 journalists, 660 civil society organizations, 73 political parties, and 473 observers in various project-related activities.

Duration: July 2016 – March 2017

Funding Agency: United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Former United Kingdom Department for International Development

(UK DFID)

TDEA implemented a Parliament Watch and Reforms project (PWRP) based on parliamentary observation of the National Assembly and Senate for improved functioning of parliament and performance of legislators. Enhanced public interest and access to parliamentary information and observation through advocacy and the use of open parliament portal. As many as 87 advocacy sessions were conducted to improve parliament’s regulatory framework and enforcement.

Duration: August 2012 – December 2014

Funding Agency: European Union (EU)

TDEA implemented a Supporting Transparency, Accountability, and Electoral Processes in Pakistan (STAEP) project through Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) for improved democratic and electoral processes and achieved in mobilizing citizens for NIC and voter registration, trained and deployed 40,264 election observers for GE-13, facilitated citizen groups at constituency and district level for raising demands for local level advocacy, drafted electoral reforms and trained and deployed parliamentary observers. The project facilitated 322,226 citizens in NIC registration, 522,715 women voters were mobilized, 10,000 citizen volunteers were trained, 40,000 observers were given election trainings, 23 political parties were engaged, while 1,247 candidates, 1,236 politicians, 35 civil society organizations, and 400 filed staff were also engaged.

Duration: December 2010 – August 2014

Funding Agency: United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Former United Kingdom Department for International Development

(UK DFID)