Social Sector

Lack of access to social services, particularly education, health, water and sanitation, is one of the most pressing issues facing rural communities. The level of access for women and children is even lower due to the well-known lack of the public and private health and education systems. According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) of 2006-07, the country has alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality (276 per 100,000 live births), infant mortality (78 deaths per 1,000 live births) and under five child mortality (94 deaths per 1,000 live births). Similarly, in 2001 Pakistan had a gross enrolment rate of 84.3% and an overall literacy rate of 53%, which are amongst the lowest in the world. Access to potable water is 93%, of which only 24% of rural households have access to piped water, and more than half of Pakistan’s population has poor access to sanitation facilities.

These statistics represent national averages while the situation is considerably worse in the rural areas where weak social service delivery is profoundly visible. RSPN’s Social Sectors Section assists the RSPs to enhance their work with and support to the organised communities in overcoming these challenges. Key areas of RSPN Social Sectors support include: assistance to the RSPs in social sector strategy formulation and programming; capacity building of RSP staff for implementation of social sector programmes; documentation and sharing of RSP social sector initiatives; and networking, partnership development and resource mobilisation through Government and multilateral and bilateral donors.

 

Assistance to RSPs in Social Sector Strategy Formulation and Programming

The RSPs have become increasingly involved in projects and public private partnerships aimed at improving social sector service delivery. While much of the growth has been incremental and driven by available opportunities, the need for clear strategic vision and direction resulted in RSPN support to three RSPs (SRSO, TRDP and SGA) for developing Social Sector strategies. This involved consultations with community organisations and staff, as well as with public representatives, provincial and line departments, and civil society. The strategies, developed in 2006-07, highlighted the need for the RSPs to facilitate organised communities in accessing services provided by the government, non-government and private providers.