FOSPAH to lead international committee on women's rights

The OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA) has established a new Sub-Committee on Women’s Rights on October 23, appointing Pakistan’s Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH), H.E. Ms. Fauzia Viqar, as its inaugural Chair.

With global gender equality still projected to be a staggering 135 years from reality, Pakistan has been tapped to lead a new international charge to shatter that timeline.

The new committee was born from an urgent call to action by Ms. Viqar herself. Recognizing the alarming global statistics, she proposed the formation of the dedicated body during her speech at the 4th OICOA General Assembly in Iran.

This appointment leverages the specific and powerful expertise of FOSPAH. FOSPAH is unique, standing as the only ombudsman institute of its kind that specifically tackles the critical and intertwined issues of women's property rights and workplace harassment.

The idea received immediate and powerful backing from OICOA President H.E. Mr. Mehmet Akarca, Chief Ombudsman of Türkiye. Mr. Akarca strongly endorsed the proposal in his concluding remarks and directed the OICOA Secretariat to "immediately begin work on its formation."

The committee's composition has now been formally approved by President Akarca, officially placing Pakistan at the helm of a crucial international platform. The Sub-Committee's members include high-level representatives from Bahrain, Turkey, Benin, Senegal, Azerbaijan, Togolaise, and Burkina Faso.

This vital, hands-on experience will now be scaled to an international level, shaping the strategies of OICOA member nations and coordinating powerful new action to protect and empower women across the OIC.