RAWALPINDI: The All-Pakistan Women Universities Consortium (APWUC) on Friday organised the first All Pakistan Women Universities Conference on Women and Leadership with the support of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and British Council in connection with the International Women Day observed on March 8.

The conference aimed to devise ways to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Female vice chancellors from all seven member universities, including Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Government College Women University Faisalabad, Lahore College for Women University, Government College Women University Sialkot, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Women University Swabi and Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, jointly organised the event.

In her opening remarks, Dr Saima Hamid, the FJWU vice chanccellor, proposed a four-point agenda for the consortium, including focusing on sustainability, participatory approaches, identifying priority areas, and establishing clear structures for effective strategy building.

She stressed the importance of young energies and synergies to ensure the consortium’s progress and sustainability. Dr Irene Tracy, VC, University of Oxford, congratulated the female VCs and informed them about measures they are taking in the United Kingdom to support British women.

Dr Rubina Farooq, VC Government College Women University, Faisalabad, stressed increasing women’s visibility on all important platforms so they could support each other, while Dr Bushra Mirza, VC, Lahore College for Women University, emphasised on the importance of keeping one’s ambitions high and fighting inner fears.

Dr Rukhsana Kausar, VC, Government College Women University Sialkot, highlighted the need for a future roadmap in the form of specific universities and stressed that women are emotionally intelligent and can prove better managers, which they must utilise.

Dr Safia Ahmad of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University highlighted the need for a bio-based innovative economy and stressed on the importance of university-industry collaboration to make research more effective.

Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi of Women University Swabi stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and putting universities on the path of innovation through business to support the national economy.

Dr Saiqa Imtiaz Asif, VC Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, pledged her full support for the consortium online.

Dr Shahnaz Wazir Ali also addressed the gathering and emphasised on the importance of devising effective strategies for the training of young female faculty recruited in universities.

Dr Kanwal from the Home Economics University Lahore stressed the importance of building effective networks and collaborative team work to achieve the tasks at hand.

Professor Dr Mahmoodul Hassan from HEC and Dr Shaista Naqvi applauded Dr Saima Hamid’s vision for bringing together all VCs and highlighted the importance of effective coordination for devising a future roadmap and achieving the consortium’s goals.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2023