In January 2004 the four-year “Building up Rights Based Approaches to HIV/AIDS in Pakistan; A National Civil Society Capacity Building Project entitled The Tameer Project ” was launched in Pakistan through the five Provincial AIDS Consortiums including NAACC for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Pakistan with the financial assistance of European Commission and DFID. The overall objective (Goal) of the project is to prevent HIV/AIDS from becoming established in vulnerable populations and becoming a generalized epidemic through spread to the broader population, while reducing stigma and discrimination, in line with the objectives of the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework 2001-2006, and more specifically with the Program Implementation Plan for Enhanced HIV/AIDS Control Program, Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan, November 2002. While, The Project Purpose is Institutional Development of the all five HIV/AIDS Consortia of Pakistan such that they are delivering legitimate, transparent, co-coordinated and sustainable civil society/NGO participation in Public-Private sector Partnership with the PACPs and the NACP. The Interact Worldwide UK is a major partner of this project and supposed for technical input and supports partners at all stages of the project.

In Tameer Project PNAC is playing important role at national level for smooth implementation of project activities in close coordination with all consortiums and stakeholders. The other key partners of the TAMEER Project are including KIT Health of the Netherlands, AIDOS from Italy and The Center for Population Studies of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

Partners in Tameer Project:

NAACC has diverse partners in implementing the Tameer Project, which is a unique example in its nature. The partners are Pakistan National AIDS Consortium (PNAC), Interact Worldwide (IWW) London, AIDOS of Italy and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) UK. 

 The Tameer Project is based on Rights and Gender based approaches and has following core components:

a) Capacity Building: The project built the technical capacity and skills of Board of Directors of consortiums, member NGOs and secretariat staff of respective consortiums in Pakistan at Local, National and International levels. Through this component National and International well-reputed organizations are being facilitated National level ToTs for member NGOs and project staff on various subjects. The participants who got National ToTs replicated trainings at regional levels for all member NGOs. An International Study Tour on “NGOs Network Governance Study Tour to Thailand and Philippines” were organized in March 2005 for BoDs of all five consortiums of Pakistan. The President and General Secretary NAACC were participated the event and represented NAACC at International level.

b) Establishment of well-equipped Consortium offices with a team of professional staff.

c) Grass Roots Action, which is known as the Tameer Small Grant Program (SGP) for member NGOs of consortium in Pakistan. Through adopting a fair, transparent and standard procedure; grants are being provided to member NGOs for HIV/AIDS prevention and control with special focus on service delivery based interventions i.e. Partial Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), Behavior Change Communication (BCC), Peer Education (PE), Harm Reduction Program for IDUs, STIs Management, Condom Promotion & Distribution (Focus on ABC technique; Abstain from sex, Be faithful with your spouse, and use of condoms) and Treatment, Care, and Legal, Psychological and material support of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Ensuring use of screened blood and new and sterilized syringes and equipments are also part of this component. Through Tameer SGPs stigma and discrimination and myths and beliefs associated with HIV/AIDS and STIs are being reduced and creating enabling environment to serve the vulnerable groups to prevent them from HIV/AIDS and STIs.

d) The fourth component of this project is Research: Through this component three types of Researches are being undertaken i.e. Policy Research into the development of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in HIV/AIDS in Pakistan, Formative Research on Men on the Move (MoM men who spend more than 6 continuous months per year away from home but within Pakistan, and Operations Research looking at selected Small Grant Projects of Tameer Project.

Speaker NALA, IGP and Director Education Colleges participated in NAACC’s activities

 As per studies conducted by Sociologists: suicide, divorce, domestic violence, marriageofexchange, illiteracy & ignorance, stigma and discrimination among women observed common in the region, which, causing malnutrition, anemia and high rate of MMR among females in the region.

 In order to sensitize and motivate the policy makers and masses towards the Gender and Human Rights issues in Northern Areas, NAACC (www.naacc.org.pk) in collaboration with Women Support Group (PDCN-Aga Khan University) has implemented 16 days project entitled “Strengthening the voice of Marginalized Women for Mainstreaming Gender in Development in Northern Areas/FANA”, Pakistan Under the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence from 25 November-10 December 2007” with the financial assistance of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM-Pakistan) under the theme of “Demanding Implementation, Challenges Obstacles: End Violence against Women”. Through the aforesaid project implementing organizations highlighted the issues related to women in broader context and motivated the policy makers to inculcate Gender Issues in all developmental initiatives in Northern Areas.

 The objectives of the project were included:

6.      To celeberate16 days activism project titled “Strengthening the voice of Marginalized Women for Mainstreaming Gender in Development in Northern Areas/FANA”, Pakistan Under the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence 25 November-10 December 2007” under the theme of “Demanding Implementation, Challenges Obstacles: End Violence against Women”

6.      Observing the following five international days included;

a.      November25^th, International Day on Violence Against Women,

b.      November 29^th, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day

c.       December1^st, World AIDS Day

d.      December, 6^th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre

e.      December10^th, International Human Rights Day

The main purpose of celebrating the days were; to join hands to show solidarity with the marginalized people, CSOs and NGOs community, to raise awareness and behavior change among the key stakeholders, vulnerable population and masses towards gender issues, human rights issues and AIDS.

6.      Highlighting the women issues especially violence against women in Northern Areas and sensitize the key stakeholders to address the issues with the participation of affected women.

6.      To motivate and advocate the key stakeholders to Gender mainstreaming in all developmental initiatives in Northern Areas through meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences.

 Activities conducted under the project included:

·        Radio Panel Talk regarding the Subject and 16-Days Activism Campaign

·        Developed and disseminated Press Release among Print and Electronic Media

·        Developed and disseminated IEC Material on the subject

·        Seminar for Key Stakeholders Sensitization on Violence against Women in the context of FANA (observed 25^th November, International Day against Violence against Women) at Gilgit

·        One-day Workshop on Role and Challenges of the Women Human Rights Defenders in fight against Women Human Rights (observed 29^th November, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day) at Skardu,

·        Inter-Colleges Speech Competition on the theme of “AIDS Hum Sab Ka Masala Hay” (AIDS is problem of everyone) (observed1^st December, World AIDS Day) at Gilgit

·        Conducted Candle Light Memorial activity on the occasion of Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre (observed December 6, Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre) at Gahkuch

·        Conference of Stakeholders “Advocacy on Mainstreaming Human Rights in all Development initiatives in FANA (observed 10 December, International Human Rights Day) at Gilgit

 For making activities more fruitful and result oriented we invited legislatures from Northern Areas Legislative Assembly (NALA) and key stakeholders including Hafiz Hafizur Rehman, Mr. Wazir Wilayat Ali and Ms. Yasmin Nazar Member District Council Ghezer, Dr Abdul Latif and Baltistan NGOs Network (BNN) and others from different walks of life who attended the activities as Chief Guest and participants and appreciated the efforts of NAACC in combating HIV and AIDS, women issues and development in Northern Areas and assured to extend full support to NAACC in future.

 As result of successfully implementing the project Outcomes/End products of the project are as follow:

1.      The Five International Days have been observed in FANA first ever in the history of Northern Areas to join hands by the key stakeholders especially the marginalized Women and enhanced the knowledge on Women Rights; strengthened WSG/NAACC for effectively addressing, advocating and lobbying for mainstreaming Gender issues in Northern Areas/FANA and Establishment of the Northern Areas Human Rights Forum (NAHRF) to ensure Human Rights and Women Rights in FANA. This all become possible by the incredible support provided by UNIFEM-Pakistan.

2.      Established an interim body the “Northern Areas Human Rights Forum (NAHRF)” to ensure Human Rights and Women Rights through meetings, events, seminars, workshops, media coverage and advocacy and lobbying activities in FANA

3.      A letter/resolution has been submitted to key stakeholders in whom Women and Human rights issues are highlighted to Gender and Human Rights mainstreaming in all Developmental initiatives in FANA. In order to materialize the purpose continuous follow up will be ensured.

a)      The UNAIDS-Pakistan, UNICEF-Pakistan and IUCN-Northern Areas have extended financial support in conducting World AIDS Day activities since 2001 to date. In last six years NAACC about thirty (30) awareness raising, sensitization, behavior change and advocacy based activities including Radio Panel Talks, Media coverage, seminars, workshops, conferences, public walks, speech competitions and quiz competitions etc.

b)      The UNAIDS-Pakistan has supported NAACC in conducting Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Study on HIV & AIDS among Tourists Guides and Porters in Gilgit, Hunza and Gojal in Northern Areas, Pakistan in 2002.

c)      UNAIDS-Pakistan also extended generous support in conducting Universal Access activities to PNAC, NAACC and all consortia in Pakistan during 2006. PNAC has conducted all UA seminars in collaboration with AHANG-Pakistan.