ISLAMABAD: Del­ega­tions started arriving in Islamabad on Saturday to participate in the two-day Organisation of Islamic Coop­eration’s (OIC) 9th Ministerial Conference on Women, beginning on July 12.

Themed “Socio-Economic and Political Emp­ow­erment of Women in the OIC Countries: Challenges and Way Forward”, the conference brings together ministers responsible for women and family affairs, senior government officials, representatives of OIC institutions, inte­rnational organisations and development partners to deliberate on advancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women across OIC member states.

On Pakistan behalf, Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar will chair the conference, which is being organised by the human rights ministry.

According to posts on X by the human rights ministry, those participating in the conference include Saudi Arabia’s Family Affairs Council Secretary General Dr Maimoonah Khalil Alkhalil, Egypt’s National Council for Women President Amal Ammar, Bangladesh’s Women and Children Affairs Minister Abu Zafar Md. Zahid Hossain, and Iraq’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Dr Zainab Al-Mulla Al-Sultani. Others attending include Libya’s Minister of State for Women’s Affairs Grebe Randa, her Yemeni counterpart Dr Ahed Mohammed Jassous, Nigeria’s Women Affairs Minister Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Somalia’s Family and Human Rights Development Minister Khadija Makhzoumi, and Mauritania’s Ministry of Social Affairs Secretary General Hamoudi Cheikhna Ali.

Delegates from 57 member states expected to attend two-day event

In a post on X on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar extended a “warm welcome” to the delegates and wished them “productive discussions and a memorable stay”. He shared an image of national flags, highlighting that representatives from 57 OIC member states would gather in the federal capital for the conference.

Some of the visiting delegations were received at Islamabad International Airport on Saturday by Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights Saba Sadiq, and Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice Farah Naz Akbar. Senior officials of the ministries of human rights and foreign affairs, along with other government representatives, were also present.

As chair, Pakistan will work closely with OIC member states to foster dialogue, build consensus and advance collective efforts towards the empowerment of women across the Muslim world.

Over the next two days, participating delegations will engage in high-level discussions at the Jinnah Convention Centre to review progress, exchange experiences and best practices, and identify practical pathways for enhancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women across OIC member states.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026