Multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder Ehsaas Strategy.

The Government envisages Pakistan to be a ‘welfare state’ based on the principles of Islamic ideology similar to those put in place by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madina. Ehsaas is the biggest and the boldest pro-poor and pro-equality program ever launched in Pakistan. It is an overarching coordinated whole-of-government umbrella initiative and its objectives are to: address elite capture and make the government system work for equality of opportunity; provide effective and comprehensive safety nets for the marginalized and the vulnerable; create livelihoods and jobs for the poor; invest in people for human capital formation; and lift lagging areas. The first four objectives constitute the 4 pillars of Ehsaas, under which its 134 policies and programme areas are aligned. The 5th objective is cross-cutting. Ehsaas’ overarching goals and targets are the following: safety net for at least 10 million families; livelihood opportunities for 3.8 million individuals; financial access to healthcare for 10 million families; scholarships and education incentives for 5 million students (50% girls); financial and digital inclusion for 7 million individuals (90% women); enabling environment for poverty reduction; and equality promoting multi-sectoral partnerships and innovations.
Ehsaas Pillar III is predicated on the understanding that “Human Capital Development” is a significant contributor to the wealth of a nation. The pillar aims at tackling malnutrition, preschool and early education, protecting children from harm, ensuring access to quality education, skills and jobs, long-term commitment to Universal Health Coverage and measures for empowering women and girls. Initiatives to address malnutrition in the Ehsaas framework include: a nutritional awareness campaign which involves community-based promotion of adequate health and nutrition practices including breast feeding and adequate age specific complementary feeding; eradication of open defecation in Pakistan; provision of oil cans to accompany seed packets policy; Kitchen Gardening initiative to subsidize certified seed and seedlings through the entrepreneurial and CSR model, to promote fruit and vegetable intake; seed distribution through the Utility Stores Corporation; as part of the graduation initiative’s asset transfer programme, transfer of desi chicken and goats to the rural poor along with veterinary cover is aimed at contributing both towards poverty alleviation as well as nutrition outcomes; and a Food Rations initiative/langars.
Generating employment opportunities for young individuals and poor and marginalized communities is one of the pillars of the Ehsaas programme. The other category involves the creation of locally-relevant value chains in geographic clusters (identified by their agriculture output or cultural/artisanal output). Pakistan’s agriculture sector forms the backbone of the economy. It is expected that the creation of value chains will help farmers with fragmented and small land holdings (Policy # 104); it can incentivize local manufacturing of farm equipment, drip irrigation materials and solar equipment (Policy # 106). The Government will assist through measures that reduce the cost of agriculture inputs by minimizing import duties and taxes (Policy # 110). Overall, the document identifies a need for crop diversification (Policy # 105), stating that The productivity of land and water could be better improved by diversification, by adding/incentivizing high value crops (for example horticulture), import substitution crops (edible oils and pulses), exportable crops in the regional markets and those with best agroeconomic suitability.
The Government’s poverty graduation approach combines elements of social mobilization, livelihoods development, and financial inclusion to move households out of extreme poverty and into sustainable graduation. The strategy is to start with social protection but then to move people up the ladder of prosperity, through asset transfers, training, social services and community infrastructure, interest-free loans and links to microcredit. In this regard and in line with a broader policy objective, there will also be a concerted effort to improve financial inclusion of the rural and unbanked population, as envisaged through ‘Kifalat One Woman One Bank Account Initiative’ (Policy # 29). Another key focus of Ehsaas is on women and girls and closing the gender gap.
Finally, Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Climate-Smart Water Management initiative will increase resilience to climate change among the most vulnerable farmers in the Indus basin and will strengthen the Government’s capacity to support communities in adapting to climate change. The project will result in strengthened regulatory systems, adaptive capacity, and will create greater awareness of climate change threats and risk reduction processes, which matter most for poor communities (Policy #133).