11ᵗʰ GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING OF THE WOMEN’S PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS (WPC)
Islamabad : The 11ᵗʰ General Assembly Meeting of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) was successfully convened at the Parliament House, under the convenorship of Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary of WPC. The meeting was attended by a large number of Members of the WPC, reflecting strong parliamentary commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and addressing pressing public health concerns.
During the proceedings, the Caucus received an in-depth briefing from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the formulation of Pakistan’s first National Strategy on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), developed in partnership with the Ministry of Human Rights. The initiative, which addresses one of the most complex human rights and governance challenges disproportionately affecting women and girls, was discussed in detail. Members engaged in a substantive dialogue on emerging global policy trends, mechanisms for content moderation, strategies for legislative oversight, and avenues for effective advocacy. The discussions underscored the importance of strengthening parliamentary leadership in preventing and responding to technology-facilitated gender-based violence in Pakistan.
The meeting further featured a comprehensive presentation by the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, on the forthcoming nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign. Members of the WPC were provided brochures containing detailed information about the campaign and expressed their solidarity and support for raising public awareness on this crucial public health initiative. Scheduled to be implemented from 15 to 27 September 2025 across Punjab, Sindh, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Islamabad, the campaign will initially target girls aged 9–14 years with a free, single-dose, WHO-approved vaccine aimed at preventing cervical cancer.
The Members of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus reaffirmed their resolve to champion these priority areas, particularly by safeguarding women and girls from technology-based harms and by supporting life-saving health initiatives such as the HPV vaccination campaign. The meeting concluded with a strong call for coordinated action among parliamentarians, government institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners to sustain momentum generated through today’s deliberations and to translate it into tangible outcomes for women and girls across Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, including the Convenor of the Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights, Dr. Nikhat Shakeel Khan; Parliamentary Secretaries Ms. Rana Ansar, Ms. Sabheen Ghoury, and Ms. Saba Sadiq; as well as MNAs Ms. Syeda Shehla Raza, Ms. Huma Chughtai, Ms. Sofia Saeed Shah, Ms. Tamkeen Akhtar Niazi, Ms. Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Ms. Natasha Daultana, Ms. Samina Khalid Ghurki, Ms. Naima Kanwal, Ms. Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Ms. Akhtar Bibi, Ms. Muneeba Iqbal, Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan, Ms. Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, Ms. Gulnaz Shahzadi, and Ms. Naz Baloch.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
