PREFACE

The Directory of Gender-Related Projects Conducted by the United Nations in Pakistan is a compendium of UN projects as of October 2001. Its format will allow easy and regular revision and updating.

This Directory is a reference guide mainly for development professionals at the national level, as well as for those who study or research gender issues, for academic or practical purposes. Since both qualitative and quantitative gender-disaggregated data and information of this kind are difficult to find, it is hoped that this Directory will help to bridge that gap.

It is well-known that gender issues of Pakistan are complex and multi-dimensional. Gender statistics show a wide disparity in male-female development indicators, thereby pointing to a low status of girls and women, in all sectors and aspects of life, particularly in education, health – especially the reproductive life-cycle – and employment opportunities and skills. This situation demands a concerted response. Such a response comes from government and civil society at the national level, as well as from the international agencies working in Pakistan. This Directory is one such effort. It supplements the UN Statement on Gender, which was also a joint undertaking of the UN agencies in Pakistan.

The Directory includes the UN agencies’ contribution of the write-ups of those of their projects which are either women-focussed, or have major components addressing women. A few of the projects included here, such as those pertaining to narcotic drugs, HIV/AIDS, and demographic data analysis, have a broader gender focus – they incorporate both male and female issues within their thematic areas. Although as comprehensive as possible, the Directory is not exhaustive, as new projects are starting and others are being completed.

Each of the agencies listed in alphabetical order in the Table of Contents has provided a brief description of the projects included here. If the reader wishes to obtain further information on any specific project, it may be obtained by directly contacting the relevant agency. Websites and e-mail contacts are listed separately.

We would welcome readers’ comments, queries and suggestions for improvement. Any corrections or additional information will be incorporated in subsequent edition(s), as and when required. We hope this publication will be useful for development practitioners, academicians and researchers, and mostly for women in Pakistan.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

PREFACE

The Directory of Gender-Related Projects Conducted by the United Nations in Pakistan is a compendium of UN projects as of October 2001. Its format will allow easy and regular revision and updating.

This Directory is a reference guide mainly for development professionals at the national level, as well as for those who study or research gender issues, for academic or practical purposes. Since both qualitative and quantitative gender-disaggregated data and information of this kind are difficult to find, it is hoped that this Directory will help to bridge that gap.

It is well-known that gender issues of Pakistan are complex and multi-dimensional. Gender statistics show a wide disparity in male-female development indicators, thereby pointing to a low status of girls and women, in all sectors and aspects of life, particularly in education, health – especially the reproductive life-cycle – and employment opportunities and skills. This situation demands a concerted response. Such a response comes from government and civil society at the national level, as well as from the international agencies working in Pakistan. This Directory is one such effort. It supplements the UN Statement on Gender, which was also a joint undertaking of the UN agencies in Pakistan.

The Directory includes the UN agencies’ contribution of the write-ups of those of their projects which are either women-focussed, or have major components addressing women. A few of the projects included here, such as those pertaining to narcotic drugs, HIV/AIDS, and demographic data analysis, have a broader gender focus – they incorporate both male and female issues within their thematic areas. Although as comprehensive as possible, the Directory is not exhaustive, as new projects are starting and others are being completed.

Each of the agencies listed in alphabetical order in the Table of Contents has provided a brief description of the projects included here. If the reader wishes to obtain further information on any specific project, it may be obtained by directly contacting the relevant agency. Websites and e-mail contacts are listed separately.

We would welcome readers’ comments, queries and suggestions for improvement. Any corrections or additional information will be incorporated in subsequent edition(s), as and when required. We hope this publication will be useful for development practitioners, academicians and researchers, and mostly for women in Pakistan.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)