Islamabad: The 9th Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ministerial Conference on Women began in Islamabad on Sunday, with over 190 delegates from 57 OIC member states attending the two-day event to discuss measures for promoting women’s socio-economic and political empowerment.
Held at the Jinnah Convention Center, the conference is themed “Socio-economic and Political Empowerment of Women in the OIC Countries: Challenges and Way Forward.” It has brought together ministers dealing with women and family affairs, senior government officials, OIC institutions, international organizations, and development partners to address challenges faced by women and explore joint strategies for their advancement.
Pakistan is hosting the conference from July 12-13 and will take over the chairmanship of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women from Egypt for the next two years. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar termed Pakistan’s hosting of the event a significant achievement and said the country was prepared to take on the responsibility.
“It is a great honor for Pakistan to host this conference for the next two years and chair the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women. Pakistan is ready for this responsibility,” he said.
Tarar said the participants would review the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, while an “Islamabad Declaration” would be issued at the conclusion of the conference. He added that technical sessions would take place on the first day, followed by the main conference on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.
The conference aims to provide a platform for OIC member states to share experiences, discuss policy initiatives, and enhance cooperation to increase women’s participation in social, economic, and political fields.
Several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are also expected to be signed during bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the conference to strengthen collaboration among OIC countries.
During his meetings with representatives and senior officials from OIC member states, including Women Development Organization (WDO) Executive Director Counsellor Sarah Al-Shoura, Tarar discussed women’s rights, capacity building, knowledge exchange, and joint initiatives under the OIC framework.
The law minister highlighted Pakistan’s efforts toward women’s empowerment, stating that women in the country are increasingly taking leadership roles in politics, parliament, and other important sectors.
