PODA is a women’s rights NGO working for the promotion and protection of human rights in rural areas of Pakistan with the mission to facilitate the empowerment of marginalized women, girls, minorities, youth and farmers through Constitutional rights awareness, Climate conscious sustainable livelihoods skills education and advocacy for implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Pakistan. PODA uses the Rights-Based-Development approach that includes identifying problems with concerned communities, articulating the causes and consequences of the problems identified and working towards a sustainable solution that is developed and agreed upon collectively with stakeholders. PODA works directly with communities for long term capacity building and also nationally for policy advocacy programs. PODA’s flagship initiative is a national level networking and policy advocacy focused annual conference of rural women leaders from across Pakistan for visibility, collective reflection, analysis of challenges and practical recommendations for women’s economic, social, civil and political empowerment in Pakistan.
PODA is registered under Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies Ordinance (XLVI of 1961).