The interesting factor of (SDEPP “Supporting Democratic Electoral Process in Pakistan) this program within IDSP has been to reach to the local communities where major population resides which has direct influence of the local elite and which is barely capable of raising their voices at wider forums thus vote remains one of the strong tool for raising their voices. Outreach at the union council level with strong backup from the local communities.

As mentioned earlier that Balochistan geographical position has great influence on the overall livelihood of the province, before the campaign the major political groups of Balochistan clearly showed their discomfort with the policies of federal government, it intensified with the bombardment on Afghanistan by the United States, fears of manipulation of results was another factor.

The Political and Electoral reforms especially Bachelor qualification for parliamentarians, proportional representation for women’s reserve seats, party based elections saw changes in the political parties hierarchy, middle but educated leadership was sought within the parties, nominations of educated persons from political families were seen instead of more seasoned politicians, nomination of women for reserve seats was another interesting case, in some cases women directly contested on general seats in Kech and Barkahan in the elections. Traditional political rivals made seat adjustments Pakhtoon nationalist vs. Baloch Nationalists, religious parties and nationalist had seat adjustments, all to accommodate within the given parameters of the election campaign. Women votes and candidates were for the very first time taken seriously. The women wings of the political parties were activated and invoked to attract the female vote bank.

Supporting Democratic Electoral Process in Pakistan (SDEPP) program was very different from others due to Awareness at doorstep and focusing on issues of women’s participation in political and electoral process at different levels.

Supporting Democratic Electoral Process in Pakistan (SDEPP) program started in all districts by IDSP-Pakistan. A provincial/institutional advisory committee was formed for assisting the program implementation at local level. Field workers positions were advertised in the local newspapers, potential candidate was short-listed and interviews conducted by advisory committee. Total 30 Male and Female field workers were selected and hired from these districts (List of Field Workers attached Annex J). Two different training sessions of four days each was held for all field workers, they were oriented and trained for highlighting and promoting issues of women’s participation in political and electoral process. Orientation sessions was held with respective District Nazims and District Coordination Officers by field workers teams in all districts, district support groups (DSG) were formed in all district for assisting the program at union council level (List of Partner Organizations are attached Annex C). The field workers held sessions with CBOs, NGOs, Media groups, political and social activists, Political parties and other civil society members at district level. Two different awareness campaigns at union council’s level workshops, seminars and debates were held in 130 union council, 28 Tehsil Councils and nine districts. Awareness campaign was initiated from Union Councils level in the villages and Tehsil level workshops were another focused activity for promoting the issues of woman’s participation in political and democratic process. (Sessions Pictures are attached Annex D)

Forty Thousands (40,000) different IEC material (posters 10000, booklets 10000 and leaflets 20000) focused on women’s in political and electoral process, details on political and electoral reforms and importance of vote and their casting, especially information about proportional representation system was highlighted in these materials. (Copies of IEC material are attached Annex E) Minimum 500000 people have read these materials, materials distributed and pasted at all levels. These materials contributed to people and they gained knowledge form these materials. Women’s participation was encouraged at village, Tehsil and district level. Participation of women’s at district level was low due to their travel problems. Group meetings at the village and Tehsil level started by the women groups, political, social activists and individuals after the session’s they use to on the specific issue. Women councilors and union council nazism’s played a key role at various level from initiating the program from district to villages, their participation was very useful and they provoked the village-based participants. Participants of these sessions raised quarries about democracy and their function in Pakistan and also they their comments was very useful. (Participants comments and queries are attached Annex F). Political and social activist were also keen in this program they played main role to promote and participated in this program. District based political leader ships supported the program and they realized the role of women in political and electoral process especially their local activist are keen to involve the local women in the democratic process.

Media played a good role for promoting political awareness especially issues of women in political and democratic process this issue highlighted at different levels by print media (Newspapers clippings are attached Annex G)

Balochistan is a province, which traditionally has strong political understanding; they have seen the political upheaval not in their province but also in the neighboring countries i.e. Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. The phenomenon of political education is new to the development sector especially that of the Civil Society Organizations. At many instances it is termed as depoliticizing the democratic and political forums, however it is well established and throughout that development has strong and direct link with the political scenario at local and global levels. IDSP is clearly the first organization in Pakistan in many respects, which has opened the venues of demystifying the link between the politics and development, or in other terms politics of development.

IDSP AND SDEPP

IDSP is a national human resource development institute. Focused on developing new reference points for development by bringing in community workers in our development course, building the conceptual understanding “Glo-Cal, the causal link between the global and local realities” conceptual understanding of the development scene and providing contextual technical trainings for effective, sustainable and low cost community based action and learning. IDSP has more then 150 learners across the country working in civil society organizations, government departments and academic institutions. These learners have the conceptual and functional understating of the democratic processes and its ultimate impact on common people’s life.

IDSP has been involved in political education campaigns from the very beginning. People’s assemblies were the initiative of national civil society partners to bring in the voice of masses in shaping the proposed devolution plan. The program conducted workshops, policy seminars and advocacy campaigns in Balochistan and Islamabad for the larger civil society.
Gender has been treated at IDSP as cross cutting theme, all the program at IDSP have special components of gender integrated in a way that it is present as core value of IDSP.