Final Evaluation: The Humqadam Partners for Change (Pakistan)

Location: Lahore, Mardan, Quetta and Benazirabad districts of Pakistan  

Grantee: Shirkat Gah  

Grant period: June 2021–August 2024  

Grant amount: $500,000  

Shirkat Gah, supported by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, implemented the project “The Humqadam Partners for Change” from June 2021 to August 2024 to enhance services related to violence against women and girls (VAWG), boost information provided to women and girls, and improve community attitudes towards VAWG in Pakistan. The objectives were to: 

• raise awareness about violence in the family; 
• strengthen and mobilize communities and their support systems; and 
• enhance a gender-responsive institutional response to VAWG and the related legal and policy environment.  

The final evaluation concluded that the project objectives were partly achieved, with strong outcomes in outreach and policy engagement. However, there were limitations to sustaining and monitoring the outcomes related to enhanced access to community support services and tracking the use of awareness-raising resources developed by the project. 

Key findings:  

• 79% of surveyed community members rated community facilitators as "very effective".  
• Survey respondents reported a perceived 60% reduction in physical violence and 48% in verbal violence because of an awareness campaign that involved families pledging to end domestic violence.  
• The project developed resources to improve information on VAWG and access to services, but faced challenges in distributing them and monitoring their use.  
• The project developed three important policies: Balochistan Women Protection Bill; Balochistan Early-age Marriage Restraint Bill; and KP Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Policy and Draft Law.  

"The effects of the project will be long-lasting." – Community facilitator, Lahore