• 1/3 of its 167 million people live on less than $1 a day
• Majority of women are confined to their homes
• Almost 2/3 of women are illiterate
• 1/2 the population lacks food security

Women in Pakistan are constrained by a society that marginalizes them. But isolated and impoverished women in Pakistan are discovering economic empowerment through MEDA’s Pathways & Pursestrings project. Working in glass bangle manufacturing, milk collection, embroidery or growing seedlings, their incomes are increasing substantially. They are earning the respect of their family and community and are having more say in household decision making.

Origins: MEDA first started working in Pakistan in 1999, through long term technical assistance to The Kashf Foundation. MEDA's first project in Pakistan, "Behind the Veil", was inaugurated in 2004. The project was highly successful in improving the livelihoods of poor homebound women through linkages to the embroidery sector.

MEDA's work with women in Pakistan has since grown, and now includes three separate projects working in the dairy, embellished fabrics, glass bangles, honey, medicinal plants and seedlings value chains. In addition, MEDA is currently managing a large branchless banking project with the United Bank Limited (UBL) of Pakistan and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, providing flood-affected families with cash-loaded visa debit cards and working to enhance UBL's branchless banking system for longer-term retention of clients. MEDA has recently provided technical advisory services to the National Rural Support Program and Kashf Bank in deposit mobilization and regulatory transformation.