Women diplomats rally for gender equality

Speakers from Ireland, Tunisia, Rwanda and Nepal share global best practices

ISLAMABAD:

During a session titled "Dialogue with Women Diplomats on Journey of Empowerment," several women diplomats and leaders shared their perspectives on gender equality, education, health, and legislative reforms to empower women.

They emphasised that investing in education and healthcare is critical for sustainable progress and shared inspiring examples from their countries on how policy, representation and commitment to women's rights have led to tangible improvements in society.

The speakers included Ambassador of Ireland Mary O'Neill, Ambassador of Tunisia Dorsaf Maaroufi, High Commissioner of Rwanda Harerimana Fatou and Ambassador of Nepal to Pakistan Rita Dhital.

This session took place on the second day of the 18th Rural Women Leadership Training Conference, a three-day conference organised by PODA (Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy) at Lok Virsa, Islamabad.

In her address as a keynote speaker, Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan, Advocate Hifza Bukhari, focused on the issue of child marriage as she outlined the key features of the ICT Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025, emphasising the mandatory requirement of identity cards as a critical measure for effective enforcement. She also underscored the importance of establishing a uniform minimum age of marriage across the country.

President of the Islamabad Women's Chamber of Commerce, Samina Fazil, inaugurated the women's pavilion at the event, which featured stalls showcasing the work of women entrepreneurs and artisans.

Other sessions held on the second day included "Promoting the Role of Women and Youth in Olive Value Chain Enterprises", a technical education session on "Plant Protection and Gender Issues Faced by Women Farmers in Agriculture" and "Enhancing Women's Role and Leadership in Climate Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilience."

Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment at the Workplace, Fauzia Viqar, chaired the session titled "Solution Strategies Development Session to Reduce Early Marriages to Enhance Gender Equality." She emphasised the importance of understanding laws that safeguard women's rights and raising awareness about them, noting that such knowledge is vital for helping those in urgent need of protection for their fundamental rights.

Punjab MPA Mohtarma Safia Saeed stressed the urgent need to combat gender-based violence through stronger laws and their effective implementation. "We must work to eliminate violence against women, girls and children. Strengthening legislation on the minimum age of marriage is one critical step toward reducing gender-based violence," she said. She supported the demand to raise minimum age of marriage of girls to 18 years to reduce gender inequality.

The three-day conference will conclude tomorrow with a recognition ceremony honouring rural women leaders for their dedication to the progress and development of their communities.