(iPoster) Empowering Communities: The RSPN Model for Indigenous Development in Pakistan

• In Event: Poster Session: South Asian Politics & Economics, Information Warfare, and Conflict Management
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: South Asian Politics II

Abstract

In fragile and conflict-affected states marked by deep divisions along geographic, gender, and socioeconomic lines, the Rural Support Program Network (RSPN) in Pakistan presents an exemplary case of how participatory development can redefine local governance and power dynamics. This study investigates the RSPN in Pakistan as a pioneering model for indigenous development through community-based initiatives. Drawing on over 55 interviews conducted during 2018-2019, revisited through member-checking, the research provides a nuanced analysis of the RSPN’s impact across regional contexts. The paper analyzes the implementation and outcomes of community-driven development (CDD) in Sindh—differentiating between Northern and Southern Sindh—and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), focusing on the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) and the Sarhad Rural Support Program (SRSP) respectively, as well as the disparities within Sindh. The analysis aims to showcase how the socio-political and cultural factors shape the success and sustainability of rural development programs.

The paper reveals how localized power structures and cultural contexts influence development outcomes, highlighting both the potential and limitations of community-led interventions in mitigating societal divisions. A significant focus of this study is the empowerment of women leaders within CDD frameworks. Women leaders navigate traditional power hierarchies to assert agency and collective resilience. The findings illustrate how RSPN programs advance women's leadership and agency, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting inclusive governance at the village and community level. This rural empowerment is especially present in Northern Sindh, where women-led community organizations contribute to critical changes in education, health, and economic activities, providing a necessary blueprint for gender-sensitive development in Pakistan and other patriarchal societies.

This research contributes to current broader conversations surrounding localization, sustainability, gendered impacts on development programs, and the transformative potential of CDD. By examining the intersections of governance, gender, and identity in rural Pakistan, the RSPN’s model challenges conventional development paradigms, revealing critical insights for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners seeking to address social exclusion and inequality in fragile and heterogenous contexts.

Author

• Elsa Talat Khwaja, International Development Scholar and Consultant