Social protection begins with listening
A significant portion of the rural population in Sindh lives under the poverty line, with poverty rates much higher in districts frequently affected by disasters such as floods. In 2024, the Government of Sindh, European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) joined forces to lay the groundwork for a climate-resilient and inclusive social protection system.
A joint field mission to the districts selected for the Adaptive Social Protection pilot marked a major step forward, showing the shift from strategy to action on the ground. The pilot will help women move from vulnerability to resilience - starting by listening to what matters most to them.
In the climate stressed districts of Sindh, resilience is not just a theory or a buzzword. It is something people experience and practice in real life, every day.
Naino, an agricultural worker from Khipru Village in District Sanghar, speaks plainly:
"The work is hard, the pay is low, and we struggle to feed our families properly. I did not know about saving money or using mobile banking."
Chandi, a mother from the rural area of Tando Muhammad Khan (Sindh), points toward a field:
“We have no toilet or bathing space; we bath behind cloth sheets.”
These voices are more than anecdotal stories. They are the personal testimonies and lived experiences of women that reveal gaps in the system and service delivery. Only by listening to what they say can we design programmes that are able to anticipate and address the challenges they face.
With support from the European Union and the German Government, the Government of Sindh is piloting a lifecycle approach to a new kind of social protection system. It begins by listening and builds from there. Anchored in health, financial inclusion, and climate resilience, the approach is being rolled out in both rural and urban areas - starting with those most often overlooked: women in agriculture, informal workers, and mother and child support.
Laying the Groundwork: From Health to Financial Resilience
In District Sanghar, the Mamta programme by the Government of Sindh is beginning to shift health-seeking behavior. Until recently, many expecting mothers in rural Sindh stayed away from health facilities; some not coming in at all, even in their final month. But that is starting to change.
Sanah Erum, a registration says:
“Earlier, pregnant women didn’t come in, even until the ninth month. Many delivered at home, risking their lives.”
But the momentum is shifting. Alongside improved maternal health services, the pilot is also introducing Digital and Financial Literacy Training (DFLT). The goal is not only to support safe pregnancies, but to equip women with tools to manage money, build savings, and strengthen long-term resilience for themselves and their families.
A beneficiary of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), a government cash transfer programme, from a rural area in Tando Muhammad Khan (Sindh), shared:
"I receive government support, but I had no idea how to save formally. I didn’t know savings could help in difficult times, like during floods or illness."
First Secretary at the EU Delegation to Pakistan, Meriem, says:
“We’re looking at giving more access to digital financial literacy and also saving schemes. This is about income security, not just service delivery.”
It is a model of empowerment rooted in local realities: a health system that recognises women not only as caregivers, but as decision-makers and economic agents.
Preparing Women for Climate and Economic Shocks
In the villages of Sindh, the land tells its own story. For women who farm this land, climate change is not a concept; it’s a daily constraint.
To help the women navigate this increasingly challenging landscape, the pilot will soon launch the Women’s Livelihood and Resilience Programme to support the upcoming Sindh Agricultural Women Workers’ Programme. The pilot initiative will provide tools for income diversification, climate-resilient agriculture, and social protection. It will also support the registration of female agricultural workers as formal workers which will protect them from wage discrimination and give them access to their rights under the legal system.
During the field visit, the EU delegation observed both the determination of women to seek care in difficult conditions and the urgent need for practical improvements such as shade, drinking water, and better outreach to those still unreached.
Johanna Knoess, leading GIZ’s Adaptive Social Protection project, reflects:
“Sitting here in the heat, I admire the women who wait for hours just to get services. The uptake of the Mamta programme is encouraging but the system must now go further to reach those still left out.”
This is where climate and social protection come together. Women are given the tools not just to endure shocks, but to adapt and plan for their future.
From Informality to Inclusion in Urban Spaces
Across Sindh’s cities, thousands of informal workers, that include a variety of sub-groups such as industrial workers in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), small business owners, food vendors, and domestic workers, keep the urban economy running. However, they lack access to social security benefits and may not have employment contracts or legal protections that protect formal workers from discrimination and unlawful working conditions.
This pilot is laying the groundwork for a new programme that focuses on registration of informal workers, access to savings, and support for business development.
Mumtaz is a handicraft worker from Jam Nawaz Ali village and wants his children to have better future.
“I took a loan to start my business. But inflation and lack of safety nets make it hard for me to expand it. I want my children to have a better future.”
By connecting these workers to financial tools and social recognition, the programme aims to create pathways out of poverty instead of offering temporary relief.
Turning Voices into Systems Change
In order to fundamentally enhance the social protection system and account for the perspective of beneficiaries, the Government of Sindh has conducted a Steering Committee Meeting in Karachi. The Government of Sindh and Team Europe are committed to strengthening social protection infrastructure, integrating climate risk into planning, and ensuring that savings and income tools are built into every service point.
Naveed Akbar, a former Director General Benazir Income Support Programme, says:
“I think at the time of designing any programme, it's important to meet people to understand their needs, their requirements. Without understanding the requirement, you cannot design an effective programme or intervention. So, we are here to meet people to understand their needs, their requirements so that we can plan something which could be effective for this community, for the people here in the long run.”
Shua, Evaluation Advisor at GIZ, captures the ethos:
“When we combine our strengths, we do more than deliver services. We co-create solutions. And it all begins with people, their knowledge, their resilience, and their power to shape their future.”
Listening is Just the Start
The Adaptive Social Protection pilot in Sindh is still in its early stages. But its promise lies not just in what it delivers but in how it listens. These are not top-down Interventions. They are being shaped from the ground up by women who know their struggles, and now, are starting to see the system respond.
Real social protection doesn’t begin with policy. It begins with listening.