By Abdul Ghani
Islamabad, October 24, 2025 — Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA and Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, chaired a meeting of the Committee held in the Constitution Room, Parliament House, Islamabad.
During the meeting, the Committee reviewed a briefing by the Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) regarding Pakistan’s non-participation of a woman representative in the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Beijing +30). The Director General informed the Committee that the Beijing +30 Action Agenda was a voluntary UN Women initiative and was not negotiated or adopted by Member States. He added that out of 193 Member States, 83 countries — including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and several OIC members — did not make any pledges.
Expressing serious concern, the Committee strongly recommended that women’s representation must be ensured at all international conferences and events related to women in the future. The members emphasized that such representation is essential for Pakistan to project its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment on the global stage.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics informed the Committee that only 2.5 per cent of women in Pakistan owned a house in their name, while 7.5 per cent owned joint property. However, the Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the limited scope of these statistics and called upon the provincial authorities and the Federal Bureau to submit comprehensive reports documenting women’s ownership of property and assets across the country.
Chairperson Dr. Nafisa Shah observed that there was no coherent or consolidated data that could help determine patterns of women’s ownership of moveable and immovable property in Pakistan. She stressed that for women to become active economic participants, all barriers preventing their lawful and religious rights to acquire and own assets must be removed. She further highlighted that women’s economic inclusion was directly linked to their empowerment and must be supported through policy reforms and social awareness.
The Committee also called for the establishment of a dedicated institution on gender equality, either within the Ministry of Human Rights or as a separate body, to ensure better coordination and implementation of national policies on women’s rights and gender equality. Members agreed that institutional support was critical for translating policy into practical outcomes for women’s empowerment.
The Committee expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to ensure women’s representation at international forums, particularly at the Beijing +30 High-Level Meeting in the UN General Assembly. Despite preparations and identified performance areas, Pakistan did not articulate or commit to any actionable pledges. The Committee directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Human Rights to submit all reports presented to international forums and to ensure active participation of women in future engagements.
Chairperson Dr. Nafisa Shah appreciated the Sindh Government’s initiative to provide two million houses with ownership rights granted to women, terming it a commendable and progressive step toward women’s economic empowerment and inclusion.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Shaista Pervaiz, MNA; Khawaja Izhar Ul Hassan, MNA; Ms. Shahida Begum, MNA; Senator Rubina Qaim Khani; Senator Khalida Ateeb; Senator Saadia Abbasi; and officers from the concerned ministries and divisions.
