The village of Jrando Dherai is located in a picturesque region of Swat district in Pakistan’s northwest, with gentle hills, forests and fertile fields fed with water from the clear rivers. Yet, for many years, transporting the village’s agricultural bounty to markets over unpaved paths was very difficult.
Islamabad, 02 February 2018 — In a unique example of south-south collaboration, the People’s Republic of China and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan have signed a US$4 million agreement to provide assistance over four months in areas of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan that have been affected by natural and human-made crises.
How do we make the unheard, heard? Working in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), we at UNDP Pakistan have been pushed to think beyond the realms of what we usually do to come up with innovative approaches to ensuring we hear the voices of women – and understanding what channels they have for expressing themselves.
In Pakistan, 2017 was a year full of excitement and potential, with intensifying focus on sustainable development, providing economic opportunities for youth and addressing climate change.
When Masta Jan was a child, he contracted polio. After recovering from the severe illness, he discovered that he could not walk unaided. Living in Khyber Agency in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), on the border with Afghanistan, there were few facilities for children living with disabilities.
Siksa village is located in Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan. Set amongst towering Himalayan peaks, the remote village is snowbound in the winter. As such, the summer months are critical for education. Yet, lack of access to a safe and reliable source of drinking water led to repeated illness amongst schoolchildren, causing many to miss school.
A 13 year old girl, Amina Bibi, related: “It was a very sad day in my life when I completed my primary school two years back.” The nearest high school was a considerable distance from the village and without transport, it was considered too far and unsafe for a girl to attend. Amina Bibi was forced to drop out of school aged only 11.

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About Pakistan

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22.2%

of parliamentary seats held by women

29.5%

of people live below the poverty line

6%

unemployment ratio

5.28%

GDP growth

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