Aurat Foundation organized a progress review of LISTEN project during its Annual Planning and Review Meeting on 26 June 2016 at Nathia Gali. Objective of the meeting was to discuss and review the progress of LISTEN project, including assessment of project interventions, success indicators, and future strategy for way forward to implement the objectives of the project.

Ms. Shamaila Tanvir, National Programme Coordinator, briefed about the different dynamics of LISTEN project.  While discussing on future strategy of the project, she said that the entire LISTEN team should focus on exploring innovative ways to implement the project objectives and also for engaging policy makers, politicians, legislators and decision makers in this process of change. She also pointed out that society seriously lacks of ideology and vision. Speaking about the socio-political context of the society, she said, “We as a nation will have to head on towards the industrial revolution if we seriously want to combat the giants of poverty, inflation, unemployment and other socio- political and economic instabilities”. Mr. Asim Malik, Director Outreach and Networks, stressed on the need of holding healthy dialogues and discussions among AF staff on different social, political and economic issues of special concern. He further added that knowledge is a source of producing mindset and building ideology thus acquiring knowledge and reproducing it should be continuous feature and LISTEN project is greatly contributing in this regards.

Mr. Anjum Rafique and Ms. Malka Khan, Regional Coordinators, LISTEN project, discussed in detail about the achievements and challenges they faced during implementation of the project. They said lack of political will for legislation on women issues, unavailability of proper budget allocation for provincial alliance building, lack of coordination, extremism and excessive work were the main hurdles in the way of implementing LISTEN activities. The participants stressed the need  to engage women leaders groups more efficiently for project implementation in 30 districts and influencing policy makers, ensuring effective community engagement through capacity building, awareness raising and advocacy for the rights and protection of women, discriminated and marginalized groups of the communities.