ISLAMABAD: Women Parliamentarians have emphasised meaningful participation of female members in legislative and decision-making roles of the parliament.

They shared cross-party perspectives on a range of issues, including women’s representation in leadership, the integration of gender perspectives in legislative processes, the workplace environment, and the role of political parties in promoting inclusivity.

A discussion was arranged here on Wednesday by the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly Secretariat incollaboration with UN women.The interaction provided valuable insights into existing gaps as well as opportunities for strengthening gender mainstreaming within parliamentary functions.

The initiative seeks to identify both barriers and enabling factors affecting women’s meaningful participation in legislative and decision-making roles, and to generate evidence-based recommendations for strengthening gender-responsive governance.

The Gender Analysis of the National Assembly is aligned with international commitments, including CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

The findings from this Focus Group Discussion will contribute to a comprehensive assessment and inform actionable recommendations to enhance gender-responsive legislation, oversight, and institutional practices within the National Assembly. The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus reaffirmed its commitment to fostering an inclusive, representative, and responsive parliamentary environment that supports women’s empowerment and equitable participation in governance.

Those who participated in the meeting included Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Ms. Shahida Begum, Ms. Farukh Khan, Ms. Naeem Kishwar Khan, Ms. Rana Ansar, and Ms. Minail Khan.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2026