Background
AwazCDS Foundation Pakistan Centre for Development Services (AwazCDS-Pakistan) is a not-for-profit, non- governmental and non-political organization, striving for socio- economic development and political empowerment of the vulnerable populations, especially women and young people across Pakistan. AwazCDS-Pakistan is registered under Societies Act 1860 and rigorously advocating for realization of socio- economic and political development and rights of people since 1995. AwazCDS strives towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015-2030. As a member of United Nations’ Social and Economic Council (UNECOSOC) and several other global and regional networks, AwazCDS-Pakistan has emerged as a strong voice representing marginalized communities and socially excluded groups like People with Disabilities (PWDs), Religious Minorities (RMs) and Transgenders.
AwazCDS is currently implementing a project “Beyond Barriers” in the selected districts of KP and Punjab. The objective of the project is to build the capacity of organizations of women with disabilities and women-led organizations to support the improved policies and practices on gender-based violence and harassment in the workplace, and inclusive training and employment opportunities for women with disabilities.
The specific objectives of the project are:
1. Women’s organisations and Organisations of Women with Disabilities (OWDs) capacities are strengthened
2. Women with and without disabilities are provided with more accessible environments and disability inclusive policies and practices by training institutions, employers and Business Development Support (BDS) providers
3. Gender based violence and harassment (GBVH) and Small medium enterprise (SME) policies are strengthened through evidence generated, disseminated and utilized for improved policy implementation on the inclusion of women with disabilities
Under this Project, AwazCDS invites eligible Organizations of Women with Disabilities and Women Org to submit their expression of interest through filled mapping tool for organizations of Women with Disabilities (OWD) & Women organizations (WOs) for work aimed at strengthening the capacity of CSOs and OWDs for promoting disability rights, gender equality, inclusive employment opportunities, and prevention of gender-based violence and harassment at workplaces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The Sindh Women Agricultural Workers’ Act, 2019 formally recognizes women performing agricultural work, acknowledging their rights to fair wages, protection from exploitation, and access to legal safeguards This legislation was a landmark step toward recognizing the contributions of women in Sindh’s agricultural sector.
However, the Rules of Business, which define how the law is implemented, enforced, and monitored, have not yet been notified Without these rules, institutional responsibilities remain unclear, and the law’s protections cannot be effectively accessed by women on the ground
This absence remains the biggest gap in the legal framework Until the Rules of Business are formally established, women agricultural workers continue to face wage exploitation and limited recognition of their work, despite the law existing on paper
Recentadvocacy efforts however, have initiated the process to include women agricultural workers as formal labour in the Punjab Labour Code This case study documents the lived experience of Kausar Mai, a woman agricultural worker from Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, to demonstrate why legal reform must move
beyond policy drafts to enforceable action
This year’s HLPF took place against a backdrop of growing concerns. The Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) concluded with civil society underfunded and expectations for meaningful SDG progress reduced. The launch of the XDG 2045 Global Survey by the UAE also stirred mixed reactions. While intended as a global consultation for post-2030 priorities, its timing—when only five years remain for the SDGs—was seen by many as premature and distracting from urgent acceleration efforts.
According to the UN Secretary-General’s SDG Progress Report 2025, only 35% of SDG targets are on track, and a mere 17% are projected to be achieved by 2030, with Asia’s progress even slower. Having already fallen short on the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, the world is now failing to meet the SDGs—a collapse of Agenda 2030 would be a severe blow to multilateralism and global governance.
Asia Development Alliance (ADA) is a leading regional platform promoting localization, inclusive democracy, an enabling civic environment and financing for sustainable development and climate action. ADA contributed to the HLPF through civil society statements, alternative reports and five high-impact side events as lead or co-organizer with various national and global partners.
This year, ten Asian countries presented their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs): Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The Asian VNRs showcased promising initiatives, including Japan’s SDGs curriculum integration, Indonesia’s 60,000 SDG Villages, Malaysia’s constituency-level SDG monitoring, Kazakhstan’s online SDG education platforms and both the Philippines’ and Bangladesh’s People’s own Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).
Civil society statements flagged critical gaps: lack of human rights-based approaches, insufficient financing, shrinking civic space, weak monitoring and data systems, poor coherence between UN bodies and governments and exclusion of CSOs from decision-making. Their call-to-action centred on localizing the SDGs and supporting civil society-led VLRs, expanding youth-centered and intergenerational governance, institutionalizing CSO participation in UN platforms and investing in inclusive data systems and feminist budgeting. The message was clear: without urgent, coordinated and adequately financed action, the world risks repeating the missed opportunities of the MDGs—only this time with far greater consequences for people and the planet.
Civil society participation is critical to ensuring that the voices of communities, particularly those from the Global South, are heard and reflected in global decision-making. By supporting ADA’s presence at the HLPF, Cooperation Canada aimed to strengthen civil society’s collective advocacy, ensure more inclusive dialogue and contribute to more equitable and representative policy outcomes.
— Zia ur Rehman, Secretary General / Director, Asia Development Alliance
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