A parliamentary special committee has urged swift action on the gender budget and the prolonged vacancy at the National Commission on the Status of Women after a sharp review of Pakistan’s women’s rights governance in Islamabad.
The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, chaired by Dr. Nafisa Shah, raised alarm over the delay in appointing a permanent chairperson to the NCSW, saying the absence of permanent leadership has undermined institutional effectiveness, parliamentary representation and the commission’s capacity to follow up on national commitments.
Committee members said ministries must ensure senior officials attend parliamentary hearings, noting that the Ministry of Human Rights was not represented when critical issues of women’s protection, gender budgeting and international engagement were discussed. The panel directed concerned authorities to complete the appointment process through a transparent and timely mechanism.
Another major concern was the extremely low share of development funding for women-focused programmes. The Planning Commission told the committee that gender-specific Gen-3 allocations account for only around 0.4 percent of the Public Sector Development Programme, a figure members described as wholly inadequate given persistent gender gaps in education, employment, health and mobility.
Members stressed that the gender budget should move beyond technical tagging and deliver real funding, measurable targets and visible improvements in women’s socio-economic conditions. The committee called for a dedicated Gender Budget Statement to be presented with the federal budget and asked the Ministry of Planning and Development to strengthen gender analysis, monitoring and periodic reporting on women-centred projects.
The committee also expressed deep concern about rising incidents of honour killings and other gender-based violence, pointing to weak enforcement, social pressure and prosecution gaps that leave survivors unprotected. It recommended stronger interagency coordination, improved prosecution mechanisms and targeted awareness campaigns to tackle honour killings and protect victims.
Members noted the absence of the NCSW from a recent United Nations conference on the Commission on the Status of Women, saying Pakistan’s principal statutory institution on women’s rights should be represented at international forums that shape global commitments on gender equality. The panel sought explanations and urged continued engagement with global platforms.
The committee concluded that gender mainstreaming must be embedded in national planning, budgeting and governance. With women comprising more than half of the population, members insisted that meaningful representation in development priorities, public spending and institutional leadership is essential to turn the gender budget into tangible progress for Pakistani women.
