Sindhnet initial consultative meeting with CSOs
SPARC participated in the alongside representatives from SPO, Indus Consortium, CSSP, Muslim Aid, CPDI, and HANDS.
The discussion focused on fostering an enabling environment within the CSO network to strengthen collaboration and advocacy.
Kitchen Gardening Drive
SPARC, in collaboration with Sunbeams (NGO), students from and Arid Agriculture University under the col4dempowerwomen (EWG) initiative, has launched a Kitchen Gardening Drive. Through this program, community women will receive hands-on training, be provided with plants and resources to establish their own kitchen gardens, and will be monitored and supported throughout the process to ensure successful implementation.
Global Momentum Grows to End Corporal Punishment of Children by 2030
As the world prepares to mark the International Day to #EndCorporalPunishment on 30 April, campaigners are calling for urgent action to end the violent punishment of children globally. With only five years left to achieve the commitment to end violence against children by 2030, governments, organizations, and individuals are being urged to step up their efforts.
Over 4.92 million children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are currently out of school, according to a new report by the provincial education department.
The crisis is particularly severe in Kolai-Palas and the broader Kohistan region, where up to 79% of children are not enrolled in school. Peshawar alone has over 500,000 out-of-school children, including 319,000 girls, highlighting significant gender disparities.
Nationally, 26.2 million children remain out of school, with economic hardship and rapid population growth driving the crisis.
Over 3,364 cases of child abuse were reported in Pakistan in 2024, according to Sahil Cruel Numbers report. These include 1,828 cases of sexual abuse, 1,204 abductions, 241 missing children, and 56 children murdered after sexual assault.The majority of victims were aged 11 to 15, with 1,791 girls and 1,573 boys affected. Additionally, 45 child marriages were reported, mostly involving young girls.Despite 93% of the cases being registered with police, justice remains rare due to weak investigations and social stigma.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to 23 million children worldwide missing essential vaccines in 2020, a setback still affecting global immunization efforts, according to a 2024 WHO report.In Pakistan, this crisis is compounded by US aid funding cuts, putting children’s health at greater risk, especially in ongoing battles against diseases like polio and measles.With rising outbreaks of preventable diseases and reduced international support, Pakistan must urgently prioritize domestic investment in vaccination programs and public health to protect its children from avoidable suffering.
MESSAGES
Anees Jillani
Chairperson
Nobody nowadays appears to have the time to read. There is so much information available that there is an information overload. Despite this, we at SPARC desire to take some of your time to apprise you about the latest issues confronting more than 130 million children of Pakistan and what SPARC is doing to alleviate the suffering of some of these children. Unfortunately, the media seldom covers issues about children unless they are sensational, and often has an angle about a particular issue. This is thus the reason for this website. I hope many will read it and generate a positive and interesting discussion.
Asiya Arif
Executive Director
SPARC is a voice for the voiceless i.e. children. We try not to miss out on their issues and create long-lasting impact rather than a band aid solution. This is mainly done through advocacy, networking with likeminded friends, organizations and service delivery. In the age of communication, I still believe website is a powerful tool in amplifying our voice and reaching out to a range of audience including children, youth, policy makers, think tanks, academics and donors. Let’s stay connected as a discourse over children should go on!
Vision
A world in which children are valued and empowered, and their rights promoted and protected.
Mission
To promote and protect the rights of children and empower them through advocacy, research, awareness, service delivery, and institutional development.
