How and under what conditions does citizen-led social and political action contribute to empowerment and accountability? What are the strategies used, and with what outcomes, especially in settings which are democratically weak, politically fragile and affected by legacies of violence and conflict? Drawing on research from the Action for Empowerment and Accountability research programme conducted between 2016 and 2021, this webinar discusses these themes in relationship in particular to a series of studies conducted by the programme with partners in Pakistan, including work on how marginalised groups interact with authorities, women’s protests and political participation, and mobilisation on energy issues.