SDPI Completes Project with Support from German Development Agency and European Union; Team Appreciated for Successful Implementation
Digital Financial Literacy Project Marks Major Step Towards Women’s Financial Empowerment, Says Dr. Abid
Islamabad (Staff Reporter):
The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has achieved a major milestone by successfully completing digital financial literacy training for more than 255,000 deserving women across Pakistan under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
At a ceremony held to mark the successful completion of the project, speakers described the initiative as an important step towards promoting women’s financial independence, expanding digital payments, and strengthening Pakistan’s social protection system.
Addressing the ceremony, SDPI Executive Director Dr. Abid Qayyum Suleri said that the digital financial literacy project represents a significant chapter in Pakistan’s digital payment journey, particularly because it connected a large number of women with modern financial systems. He stated that informal training and capacity-building initiatives often prove more effective than formal education as they directly reach different segments of society.
He directed the project team to properly document the success stories, experiences, and challenges encountered during the initiative so that this material could serve as a valuable reference for future research in the fields of social protection and public welfare.
Project Lead and Research Fellow at SDPI’s Centre for Evidence Action and Research, Dr. Fariha Irmaghan, said that the project was launched in 2023 as a limited pilot initiative with the support of Germany’s development agency GIZ and the European Union, and was later expanded to all four provinces of Pakistan. She said the second phase, launched in July 2024, was successfully completed according to the planned targets with strong cooperation from BISP offices.
She highlighted the contributions of provincial coordinators, including Dr. Kamran Khan in Punjab, Anam Malik in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Iffat in Sindh and Balochistan. She also appreciated the efforts of Field Coordinator Atif and Co-Lead Dr. Asma Fayyaz for effectively supervising the project.
Dr. Fariha further stated that approximately 250 trainers, 40 implementation coordinators, and a 30-member quality assurance team participated in the national programme. She said all interviews conducted during the project underwent complete audio audits, while IT expert Hamad managed a database containing more than eight million records.
She added that the activity between SDPI and the Benazir Income Support Programme was completed successfully through effective coordination and collaboration.
SDPI Deputy Executive Director (Policy) Dr. Shafqat Munir congratulated the project team on its success and said that reaching deserving families directly was a major challenge, which the team handled with professionalism and dedication. He stated that the project would be recognized among SDPI’s important evidence-based policymaking and social impact initiatives.
SDPI Deputy Executive Director (Research) Dr. Sajid Amin Javed said the success of the project was the result of effective leadership, a clear strategy, and the extraordinary efforts of the entire team. He appreciated the leadership of the project head and emphasized that the achievement was the result of collective efforts.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, a cake-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the successful completion of the project. Dr. Abid Qayyum Suleri distributed appreciation certificates among the project lead, senior consultants, provincial coordinators, field staff, implementation coordinators, and quality assurance team members, and acknowledged their valuable contributions.