The February 2008, general elections in Pakistan dominated world attention. The Foundation's flagship governance and civil society program in Pakistan began in 2006, long before the elections were in the headlines, and will continue through 2012. With our support, a coalition of 30 Pakistani civil society organizations formed the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) to implement a long-term, nationwide, and statistically-robust approach to election observation – all unprecedented in Pakistan. FAFEN conducted the first technical audit of the voters' list, mobilized almost 20,000 well-trained observers, and conducted 250 simultaneous Parallel Vote Tabulations (PVTs). FAFEN also carried out voter education, targeting women, youth, and religious leaders, and hands-on media training to encourage non-partisan, high-quality reporting. The Foundation and FAFEN also launched projects to facilitate greater government accountability, comprehensive electoral reforms, and the coordination of a Declaration of Principles and Best Practices Manual developed by the Foundation, FAFEN, and domestic election observation groups throughout Asia.
Women entrepreneurs face a multitude of obstacles in Pakistan. Mobility is restricted, and most have little to no access to capital and supplies. In 2008, the Foundation supported the creation of production units—groups of twenty to thirty women, who collectively produce and sell goods, such as clothes, handbags, pickled vegetables, and perfumes. More than one thousand women in three of Pakistan's four provinces are involved in this ongoing, landmark initiative. Saleema, a thirty-year-old Pakistani living with her disabled parents and her young siblings was desperate to support her family and contemplated life as a domestic servant. A gifted seamstress, she was unexpectedly invited to join a cooperative unit. She quickly became a mentor for the group, overseeing production of decorative objects such as mirror frames, baskets, and jewelry. She is now a technical trainer in her unit—a personal breakthrough and an achievement recognized by women and men in her community. "I'm now able to support my family," she says. "My father disapproved initially, but now he calls me his right hand."