Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) convened a consultative meeting under the chairpersonship of Dr. Sumera Shams to review the implementation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Empowerment Policy 2017 and initiate the formulation of the upcoming Women Empowerment Policy 2025–26.
Representatives from the Departments of Law and Human Rights, Population Welfare, Industries and Labour, Planning and Development, Information, Social Welfare, Forestry and Climate Change, PDMA, KP IT Board, NADRA, Election Commission of Pakistan, UNDP, UN Women, SMEDA, media representatives, former MPA Ayesha Bano, Rukhshanda Naz, and the staff of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women attended the session.
The objective of the meeting was to conduct a comprehensive review of the 2017 policy’s implementation, evaluate progress reports from different departments, identify challenges in achieving gender equality, and develop recommendations for the forthcoming 2025–26 policy framework.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Sumera Shams stated:
“The provincial government’s vision and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political commitment are aligned toward women’s empowerment, reflecting the vision of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Today’s meeting primarily served as a stock-taking exercise. While the Women Empowerment Policy 2017 was formulated, it could not be implemented in its true spirit, and nearly a decade has passed. Now, in 2026, we aim to update and strengthen this policy. After reviewing progress with all relevant departments, we have agreed to upgrade the Women Empowerment Policy 2017.”
She also emphasized the need to address policy loopholes, refresh outdated data, and incorporate the specific contexts of the merged districts. Dr. Shams added that, in line with the provincial government’s priorities and PTI’s vision, the process of developing the new Women Empowerment Policy has been formally launched under the leadership of the Women Commission, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and other stakeholders.
“Our goal is to finalize and present a comprehensive and detailed policy document to the provincial government by March 2026, coinciding with International Women’s Day,” she emphasized.
Dr. Sumera Shams expressed gratitude to all participating departments, international partners, and civil society representatives for their valuable input and continued support in advancing women’s empowerment across the province.
It was decided that further consultative sessions will be held to refine and finalize recommendations regarding the implementation of the 2017 policy, with the next meeting scheduled for November 25, 2025.
