The Citizen’s Commission for Human Development (CCHD) was established in 1989 with a mission to promote sustainable development, justice and equity in Pakistan. Since 2000, CCHD has been actively involved in the promotion of decentralisation in Pakistan, and therefore works closely with the government, in particular with the National Reconstruction Bureau.

The CCHD programme on “Human Rights and Peace” focuses on the rights of women and children. Under this programme the commission has built the capacity of 1,200 Musalihat-i-Anjuman (Reconciliatory Organisation) members in Bahawalpur and Attock districts to maximise their outreach, and dispute resolution at the local level.

Its training programmes for government officials, police, journalists, teachers and lawyers have been comprised of modules on violence, monitoring of violence, and conflict management. So far the programme has provided 3,500 women with legal aid and counselling from its eight District Support Centres in and around Punjab.