Pakistan stands at a profound mo ment of choice about the future we want for our families and for our nation. Across the country, couples quietly wish to plan their families in ways that protect health, dignity, and op portunity, yet too often they lack the support to do so. Waqfa and Tawazun offer a new paradigm for family planning, centring the wellbeing of individuals and families. This approach is not about numbers; it is about nurturing healthier lives, stronger families, and a more hopeful future. From the earliest days of family planning in Pakistan, progress was uneven and services fragmented. Many rural and underserved com munities faced limited access to care, inconsis tent supplies, and overstretched health work ers. Conversations about family planning were often avoided due to myths, fear of side effects, and social discomfort. Ambiguity about the permissibility of family planning in Islam added to the hesitation, and government campaigns such as “two children only” were not always well received. Consequently, many women ex perienced repeated and closely spaced preg nancies, contributing to high numbers of pre ventable maternal and infant deaths. Waqfa is a practical means to achieve bal ance in family life. This balance, known as Tawazun, is defined as maintaining a responsi ble equilibrium between rights and responsi bilities, family size and available resources, and population growth and sustainable devel opment. It allows families to align their aspira tions with their capacity to fulfill every child’s rights. Tawazun reminds us that families thrive when they can harmonize their resources and responsibilities, and there is no better way to achieve this than through Waqfa. Unlike older, restrictive narratives that many experienced as dictating choices, Waqfa is broader, more humane, and firmly rooted in the wellbeing of individuals and families. It is not about the number of children a family has; it is about the quality of life each child receives. Health, edu cation, emotional wellbeing, skills, employ ment prospects, and the ability of each person to contribute positively to society are the true measures of progress. At the heart of this paradigm is social and behaviour change communication (SBCC). Waqfa is not merely a service delivery cam paign; it is a conversation with society. People make decisions shaped by beliefs, relation ships, fears, aspirations, and social expecta tions. Effective SBCC starts by listening—to mothers who worry about their health, fathers who feel the weight of providing for their fam ilies, and young people seeking guidance in a climate of silence. Waqfa’s SBCC approach creates safe spaces for dialogue, replacing shame with understanding and silence with honest conversation. Trusted voices are central to this approach. Religious scholars, community elders, health workers, teachers, media professionals, and youth leaders shape social norms. The Coun cil of Islamic Ideology (CII), alongside govern ment ministers, political leaders, religious scholars, and health professionals, has ex pressed support for Waqfa, providing high level endorsements that strengthen public con fidence in the approach. SBCC does not confront values; it works within cultural con texts using language and stories that resonate with people’s lived experiences, showing that caring for families aligns with shared moral and social values. Men are central to this conversation. Fam ily planning decisions affect the whole house hold, yet for too long responsibility was framed as a woman’s duty. The Waqfa SBCC campaign, initiated by the Mir Khalil ur Rehman Foundation (MKRF) in collaboration with the Population Council, invites men into the dialogue as partners. It promotes respon sible fatherhood, shared decision making, and empathy for women’s physical and emo tional realities. When men are engaged with respect rather than blame, families are more likely to make thoughtful and supportive choices together. SBCC also speaks to young people with honesty and care. Many enter marriage with limited knowledge about reproductive health, spacing pregnancies, and family life. Youth friendly, age-appropriate communication equips the next generation to make healthier decisions when they are ready to start families. This is not about encouraging early choices; it is about ensuring they have the knowledge and understanding to make informed, thoughtful decisions when the time comes. Communication alone is not enough. Fam ilies must have access to reliable, respectful services with consistent supplies and a range of options. Health workers need support, train ing, and time to counsel families effectively. When SBCC creates demand but services are not ready to meet that demand, trust can be lost. Waqfa recognises that communication and services must move together. Political commitment and long-term in vestment matter. Family wellbeing cannot be treated as a short-term project. Stable budgets, accountable systems, and prioritising families’ health and dignity build public confidence and strengthen the social fabric over time. Waqfa and Tawazun invite Pakistan to pause and reflect on what kind of future we want to build. They remind us that every child deserves a fair start in life and every parent de serves support to make thoughtful and in formed choices. This is not a technical agenda; it is deeply human, about love, responsibility, hope, and care. It is also worth noting that this vision has been formally endorsed by the Council of Common Interests (CCI), signalling a shared national commitment across the fed eration to a balanced, life-affirming approach to population and development. Investing in family wellbeing today shapes the strength of society tomorrow. When families are healthy, children are sup ported, and choices are respected, Pakistan’s future becomes more resilient and compas sionate. Waqfa is not about limits; it is about possibility.
The writer is the Manager Communication at the Population Council
