National agenda for women’s rights launched

A series of participatory dialogues to bring together representatives from across Pakistan to deliberate and determine the way forward on key issues related to health, climate change, law and education has been organised by the Nvational Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW).

NCSW Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar said that the Commission is taking a lead in critical analysis and collaborative solutions seeking to address critical issues affecting women in Pakistan.

This comes in the year preceding the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The main focus of the 69th Session to be held in March 2025 will be to review the implementation progress of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which Pakistan has committed to implement since 1996.

The NCSW will conduct sessions and group deliberations on health, climate change, law reforms, and education. Each session will explore specific thematic areas that have been prioritised with key stakeholders, including provincial government representatives, civil society, UN partners, and experts to collate specific immediate actions that the government should undertake to see improvement in gender indicators.

In partnership with UNFPA and Pathfinder, the health, climate and laws sessions will take into account intersectional issues that disproportionately impact women and girls. The final conference on education, which is in collaboration with UNICEF and the British Council, will examine barriers to education and propose strategies to promote inclusive and equitable learning opportunities.