In many parts of Pakistan, especially rural and densely populated urban and peri-urban areas, people often have limited access to formal education and reliable health information. In this context, views on sexual and reproductive health can be shaped by partial information, rumors, and misinterpretations of religious teachings. For many families, the local imam (prayer leader) is a trusted, first-line source of guidance on household and personal matters, including family planning.
Recognizing this influence, various initiatives and organizations in Pakistan have engaged Muslim religious leaders and scholars to promote family planning and birth spacing. These efforts aim to provide accurate information about contraception and reproductive health while addressing misconceptions that stem from a limited understanding of religious guidance.
Religious leaders hold a revered position in Pakistani society and play a pivotal role in shaping daily life and marital relationships. To harness this influence for family planning education, the Population Welfare Department (PWD) included the engagement of religious leaders in its enabling-environment and demand-generation strategy. However, implementation had been largely dormant due to inadequate funding.
TCI and PWD Mobilize Imams in Gujranwala
The Challenge Initiative (TCI) partnered with PWD in Gujranwala to actively engage prominent religious leaders and imams in promoting birth spacing and family planning through mosques across the district.
With support from TCI-trained Master Coaches, PWD organized 12 advocacy sessions and seminars on family planning between September and December 2022, reaching more than 500 religious leaders. Participants responded positively and enthusiastically, grounding the discussion in Islamic teachings that support improved maternal and child health through the adoption of modern family planning methods.
Religious leaders assured the district government of their continued cooperation in emphasizing family planning messages during regular sermons. PWD also shared plans to involve local religious leaders in field activities and outreach camps to address religion-related misconceptions at community level.
Sermons and Community Outreach Extend the Message
By officially engaging 130 Islamic scholars and developing them as Master Coaches and Family Planning Champions, PWD was able to track their advocacy and sensitization activities more systematically.
Through Friday sermons in mosques, an estimated 321,970 congregants heard family planning and birth-spacing messages. Islamic scholars organized 2,698 community events attended by 258,786 people, along with 4,076 small gatherings that reached an additional 74,519 individuals. These efforts translated into direct service uptake: 1,067 individuals were referred to health facilities, and 847 couples received counselling that helped them opt for family planning services.
Grounding Family Planning in Islamic Values
To sustain and expand these gains, PWD, with TCI’s support, continues to engage Islamic scholars as trusted messengers, providing faith-aligned information on family planning rooted in Islamic teachings and the Quran.
The promotion of family planning methods by Muslim religious leaders in Pakistan emphasizes responsible parenthood, the well-being of mothers and children, and informed choice. By highlighting how birth spacing can support healthier pregnancies and improve the quality of life for both parents and children, religious leaders are helping families reconcile their reproductive decisions with their faith, while strengthening trust in public health services.
