Islamabad, 20 January 2026 — The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly, led by Syeda Shahida Rehmani, MNA, launched its Annual Report 2024–25 at Parliament House with support from UN Women and moderation by Special Secretary National Assembly Syed Shamoon Hashmi. The report sets out a concerted agenda to advance gender legislation, strengthen provincial chapters and deepen parliamentary oversight on women’s rights across Pakistan.
The launch brought together Members of the National Assembly, honourable Senators, development partners and civil society representatives who reaffirmed their commitment to gender-responsive budgeting and inclusive lawmaking. The WPC highlighted progress made over the year and outlined priorities for translating legislative intent into tangible protections for women and girls.
The Annual Report documents landmark achievements, notably the convening of Pakistan’s first Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Workshop on Gender-Sensitive Legislation after a four-year hiatus, which featured participation from international parliamentarians and helped shape cross-border policy dialogue on gender legislation. Another historic accomplishment recorded in the report is the establishment and strengthening of Provincial and Legislative Chapters of the WPC across all four provincial and legislative assemblies for the first time in Pakistan’s history, creating a coordinated platform for sustained legislative action.
Key initiatives featured in the report include the National Women’s Convention 2025 held under the theme “A Unified Vision for Empowerment”, roundtable conferences focused on gender-responsive budgeting, and the specialised conference “Poverty Has a Woman’s Face: Gender-Sensitive Legislation to Advance Gender Equality and End Poverty” convened during the 18th Speakers’ Conference. The WPC also led nationwide observance of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and organised high-level consultations on political inclusion under the banner “Raising Her Voice in Political Parties” to expand women’s participation in party structures.
During the open-floor session, Ms. Shaista Pervaiz Malik, MNA, stressed the need for enhanced legislative scrutiny of harassment laws and urged expedited justice for survivors of sexual violence. Senator Rubina Qaimkhani proposed forming dedicated parliamentary committees to comprehensively review harassment legislation and close persistent gaps, while Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, MNA, called for a non-partisan approach to gender equality and highlighted parents’ role in instilling respect and equality from an early age. Ms. Munaza Hassan emphasised the importance of seamless coordination between national, provincial and legislative assemblies to ensure the WPC chapters work in cohesion.
Ms. Samar Haroon Bilour, MNA, drew attention to the disproportionate impact of terrorism and security challenges on women, particularly those who have lost male family members, and urged inclusion of women lawmakers in economic and security decision-making. She also advocated for increased women’s job quotas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces. Senator Rubina Khalid recommended internship opportunities for law and social science students within parliamentary and legislative bodies and urged adoption of international best practices to combat cybercrime, alongside greater Senate representation within the WPC Working Council.
Contributions from other lawmakers reinforced the legislative agenda: Ms. Farrukh Khan, MNA, highlighted the need for gender balance and mutual support between men and women for sustainable empowerment; Senator Khalida Ateeb stressed strict implementation of laws for protection, welfare and rehabilitation of women; and Ms. Asma Arbab Alamgir, MNA, urged allocation of adequate funds to women parliamentarians and the creation of dedicated government bodies to protect vulnerable women and children amid rising human trafficking.
Ms. Naeema Kishwer Khan, MNA, called for stronger legislation to safeguard women and noted that international gender parity reports often overlook provincial data, affecting Pakistan’s rankings. Ms. Shumaila Rana urged legislation for protection and rehabilitation of juvenile and women prisoners and proposed structured engagement between correctional institutions and the WPC to support reintegration. Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA, highlighted the need to address legislative gaps and ensure adequate representation of women at all legislative levels, while Ms. Huma Chughtai, MNA, advocated for an integrated regional approach to women’s issues, including the idea of a South Asian regional secretariat to coordinate collective action and secure women’s access to due process of law.
The WPC Annual Report 2024–25 presents a roadmap for advancing gender legislation across Pakistan through strengthened institutional mechanisms, targeted budgetary measures and sustained inter-assembly coordination. As lawmakers and stakeholders take forward the report’s recommendations, the Caucus intends to prioritise implementation, oversight and capacity building to turn legislative gains into measurable improvements for women nationwide.
