About – Ujala Knowledge Hub

Ujala Network

(For creating rightful spaces and choices of life)

Ujala is a National Network of 48 partner organizations in 46 districts including all four provinces and two independent regions of Pakistan and is being led by AwazCDS-Pakistan. Ujala is an Urdu word that means “Morning rays of light with new hopes and choices of life”. This new hope is particularly to raise voices for the Life skills based education and health of young people, women and socially excluded groups (Transgender community, Person living with disabilities etc.) in framework of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. Ujala network does advocacy on Gender Based Violence, Domestic violence, Life Skills Based Education, Youth Friendly Health Services, respecting diversity, Rights of Person living with disabilities, Early Age Marriages, Harassment, stigma and discrimination towards exercising Reproductive Health Rights etc.

Vision:

Ujala envisages to create Rightful spaces and Choices of life for everyone having complete realization of Sexual and reproductive health & Rights.

Mission:

Creating an enabling environment where individuals are able to exercise sexual and reproductive health and rights through engagement with government, policy-makers, private sector, media, civil society, communities and other relevant stakeholders.

Ujala is a national alliance on reproductive health and rights striving for the following objective:

1- To fulfill the Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) sector’s needs and to create opportunities particularly to serve the SRHR needs of most vulnerable communities.

2- To create enabling environment where individuals are able to exercise SRH and Rights through engagement with government, policy-makers, private sector, media, civil society, communities and other relevant stakeholders.

3- To generate local evidence for promotion of SRHR in Pakistan

4- To build the capacity of local CSOs for integration of SRHR in usual developmental interventions

5-To strengthen inclusive platform for knowledge & resources to build strong movement on SRHR

Ujala includes different components

Networking and Capacity building of CSOs on Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights

Evidence generation on different thematic areas of Reproductive Health

Grass root Mobilization on issues like early & forced marriages, domestic violence, harassment and child abuse etc.

Advocacy & Policy reforms on issues related to child protection, domestic violence, early age marriages, women, Transgender & PWD rights.

Ujala Network is a formation of 48 National, Provincial/regional and District level well known leading and prominent organizations that have different strengths, expertise, skills and vast experience of working on women, children, youth, PWDs and Transgender rights. AwazCDS has the historical background of leading and managing different Networks and has confidence that networks are powerful mechanisms for sustainable development. Ujala is the 1st largest alliance of Civil Society Organizations which are working together as change agents to improve the status of reproductive health & rights by different approaches i.e community mobilization, mass sensitization, evidence gathering, advocacy by engaging parliamentarians and media personals for ensuring enabling cultural and policy environment by law and policy reforms which is essential to exercise reproductive health and rights in the country.

AwazCDS provides institutional support and regular capacity building opportunities for partners which has enabled the member organizations to institutionalize this subject in their organizational policies and to take it further in the community with all the required knowledge focusing our contextual needs and keeping in mind the cultural sensitivities.

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