Inclusive Healthcare: 2,600 women set to become members of Primary Health Care Management Committees in KP
In July 2024, the Department of Health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) revised the structure of the Primary Health Care Management Committees (PCMCs) and Hospitals Management Committees (HMCs) making it mandatory to include women members in these committees.
According to the notification, “There is a recognised need to enhance focus on local issues, promote transparency, and ensure autonomy through increased community participation in decision-making." Therefore, the notification stated, “It is imperative to improve decision-making processes by adopting a more inclusive and participatory approach, ensuring adequate representation of women in decision-making, and adhering to international best practices for women's empowerment.”
Working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ Pakistan has been supporting the KP Health Department to advocate for more inclusion within healthcare decision-making. This notification marks a significant milestone in increasing women participation in the decision-making process.
What are Primary Health Care Management Committees?
The PCMCs were established by the Department of Health, KP to bridge the gap between healthcare providers and the communities they serve. These committees enable citizens to engage directly with healthcare professionals in participatory forums, empowering communities to contribute to the improvement of healthcare services. Unlike other community advisory structures, PCMCs have financial and decision-making authority, allowing them to implement immediate changes within the health facilities and services. They consist of both community members and technical teams from the health facilities.
These committees historically lacked adequate women representation. Most leadership and decision-making roles were predominantly held by men, leaving women's voices underrepresented.
How are we driving change?
On behalf of the German government, GIZ Pakistan supports the Government of Pakistan in improving access to health and education for Afghan refugees and vulnerable host communities in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Implemented in Peshawar, Haripur, Nowshera and Kohat, the project “Strengthening education and health services for refugees and host communities in Pakistan (EHS)” focuses on strengthening sector governance in education, health and local governance. It contributes to closing the gender digital divide and supports digital transformation for the government partners.
Through this project, GIZ is supporting the KP government to include women in the PCMCs. The project first introduced female honorary members in the pilot districts of Kohat, Peshawar, and Nowshera. Building on the success of this pilot initiative, we have been supporting advocacy efforts for a structural and permanent inclusion of women in the PCMCs. This led to the adoption of this groundbreaking policy by the Department of Health.
Impact of including women members
The inclusion of women members in the PCMCs is expected to have a profound and wide-reaching impact. Around 2,600 women will be added to committees across KP’s 2,460 primary care facilities and 134 hospitals. The women PCMC members will have equal decision-making and voting powers, ensuring that women’s health concerns are effectively represented. Data shows that the communities are more likely to engage with primary healthcare services in areas where PCMCs are active and inclusive. The enhanced representation of women is expected to further improve community interaction with healthcare services.
The revision of the PCMC structure will improve gender equity within healthcare decision-making and enhance the overall quality of healthcare services in KP so that the health needs of all community members are addressed efficiently.
