The Government of Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment through integrated education, TVET, and labour market reforms at the OIC Women Development Organization (OIC-WDO) Conference on Harnessing Religious and Media Discourse and its Impact on the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights in OIC Member States, held at the Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Centre, Cairo, from 1–2 February 2026, under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The official Pakistani delegation, led by Ms. Wajiha Qamar, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training and Ms. Mehreen Gul, representing the Ministry of Human Rights, emphasized that increasing women’s participation in the labour force is both a social priority and a critical driver of sustainable economic growth, particularly for countries facing demographic and economic pressures.
The delegation highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing initiatives, including women entrepreneurship policies, labour law reforms, digital skills development programs, women-friendly workplaces, and social protection mechanisms designed to remove structural barriers to women’s employment and economic participation.
From an education and TVET perspective, Pakistan underscored the importance of demand-driven skills aligned with emerging growth sectors, alongside the provision of care-supportive infrastructure to improve women’s retention in training and formal employment. The delegation also emphasized the need to integrate financial inclusion with certified skills, entrepreneurship support, and digital literacy to enable women to transition into productive and sustainable livelihoods.
Concluding the intervention, the delegation stressed that a coordinated approach combining education, skills development, care infrastructure, financial inclusion, and strong legal protections is essential for unlocking women’s economic potential. Pakistan reaffirmed that such integrated policies offer one of the most effective pathways to inclusive and sustainable growth for OIC member states.
As a member of the Women Development Organization (WDO), Pakistan reaffirmed its strong commitment to the WDO’s mandate. The Ministry of Human Rights, as the lead ministry for WDO in Pakistan, continues to play a central role in advancing national and international cooperation to promote and protect women’s rights across OIC member states.
