The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW), led by Chairperson Dr. Samira Shams, has completed the final draft of the Women Empowerment Policy 2026–2030. The technical committee convened at the commission’s Peshawar office to review the draft and collect stakeholder input ahead of submission to the provincial cabinet for approval.
During the meeting, committee members including Ayesha Bano from the Local Government Committee, Ikramullah Khan as a board member, Secretary Shazia Atta, Syeda Nadrat of the Social Welfare Department, Zainab Khan from UN Women KP and other representatives received a detailed presentation on the policy. Members offered recommendations on objectives, implementation mechanisms and institutional roles to ensure effective women empowerment across the province.
The policy has been developed to align fully with existing provincial regulations and the Constitution of Pakistan, with a clear emphasis on reducing gender discrimination at all ages and improving women’s access to justice through strengthened inter-institutional coordination. Provisions examined by the committee included safeguarding women’s inheritance rights and introducing legal and administrative guarantees for those rights.
Committee discussions also explored measures to secure women’s representation across provincial cabinet structures, local government bodies, annual budget processes, consultative forums, standing committees and the planning cycle. These proposals aim to mainstream women’s voices in decision-making and public resource allocation as part of a broader Women Empowerment strategy.
The draft sets out actions to ensure effective access to public services and protection of women’s economic and social rights, with anticipated short-term, mid-term and long-term benefits for women’s overall welfare and empowerment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Following technical committee approval, the document will be sent for departmental validation before being presented to the provincial cabinet.
Under Chairperson Dr. Samira Shams and in line with the provincial government’s women empowerment vision, the KPCSW completed this significant milestone within a three-month period. The commission expects the approved policy to produce measurable improvements in women’s rights and participation across the province.
