From Passion to Purpose: My Path to Inclusion at UNDP Pakistan

September 5, 2024

Story by: Azima Zaidi

On October 1, 2020, I stepped into the UNDP Pakistan office, filled with the excitement of finally fulfilling my long-awaited dream of working in the development sector. As a young volunteer, I was eager to make a meaningful impact, and little did I know how transformative this journey would be.

I started my journey at UNDP at the Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP), where I provided support in the design and implementation of advocacy efforts for the equitable participation of youth with disabilities in policy making. This cause was personal to me. Together with fellow United Nations Volunteers, I shortlisted proposals and mentored young innovators to design solutions to improve education, employment, and civic empowerment for youth with disabilities in their respective communities. Watching them grow and make a difference in their communities was incredibly fulfilling.

After two incredible years with YEP, I transitioned into the Accelerator Lab – a UNDP platform dedicated to finding radical solutions to today’s development challenges. This experience broadened my perspective on future-focused design thinking and subsequently helped me in designing more inclusive and accountable democratic initiatives in Pakistan as part of the UNDP Strengthening Electoral and Legislative Processes (SELP) project. SELP’s mission – advocating for the inclusion of women, youth, minorities, transgender individuals, and persons with disabilities – aligned perfectly with my passion. I was living my dream.

My first assignment with SELP was to facilitate the team in developing a National Strategic Framework for the electoral and political inclusion of the transgender community in Pakistan. This involved working closely with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), National Database and Registration Authority, and the transgender community to advance inclusive legislation and policies. It was my first time interacting with the transgender community, and I was deeply moved by their competence and compassion. This experience reaffirmed by belief that we need a commitment to transcend barriers to gender disparities.

When I think back on my time at the UNDP, perhaps my fondest memory is a workshop that I helped organize on design thinking to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2023. Co-hosted by UNDP and the ECP, the workshop focused on raising awareness about the importance of inclusive electoral participation for persons with disabilities, and led to four provincial focus group discussions and a national consultation on the issue in July 2024. These discussions ultimately resulted in the development of a comprehensive implementation strategy aimed at addressing barriers to polling stations and voting rights for persons with disabilities – an achievement I will always be proud to be associated with.

Looking back, my journey at UNDP has always been about purpose – both mine and UNDP’s. We’ve grown together, driven by a shared commitment to make the world a more inclusive place. My perception about ‘disability’ has also evolved – I now see inclusion not as a response to exclusion, but as a natural state of acceptance. This notion has developed overtime, as I engaged with like-minded colleagues who welcomed my ideas and contributions whole-heartedly.

As I continue on this journey of breaking barriers, I find inspiration in the words of one of my favorite authors Lizz Fosslein who says, “Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice heard.”