Aurat Foundation works primarily with the collaboration of civil society organisations and also acts as a support organisation for them. AF sees these organisations as channels of communications, as local support groups assisting women to be proactive at the community level, as citizens’ groups with the potential to play a vital role in advocacy and action for women’s issues and for citizens’ rights in Pakistan.

In addition to the informal partnership networks that exist at all levels for the work of Aurat Foundation, more structured networks with partners exist at different levels:

• The Information Network Centres (INCs) are the institutional structures of the Information Programme for Grassroots Action and Organisation, through which the Foundation reaches out directly to 36,400 women in 2600 rural and urban communities in 100 districts throughout Pakistan. Around 680 local organisations provide support to the INCs at the local level.

• The Network of the Citizens Action Committees (CACs) in 70 and 110 District Coordination Committees of Pakistan is the institutional framework, which enables the Foundation to carry on its Programme for Strengthening Citizens for Advocacy and Action. The CACs include members of various district-levels civil society organizations, professional groups and concerned individual citizens.

• The AF’s Resource Centres (AF-RCs) in 70 districts of Pakistan are the institutional framework for enabling women councillors to act as effective representatives of their constituencies in the respective councils. These centres also strengthening the above programmes for citizens. These Centers are Strategically linked with Resource Persons Groups to provide information and training.

• The Legislative Watch Groups (LWGs) are the institutional framework for the Programme for Affirmative Legislation and Policies for women. They comprise members of citizens’ organisations working for political and human rights, political party women and members of the media.