ISLAMABAD (GNP): The 9th Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is continuing in Islamabad on Monday, the second and final day of the moot, bringing together roughly 190 delegates from the OIC’s 57 member states to chart a path forward on women’s empowerment across the Muslim world.
The two-day event, organized jointly by the OIC and Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights, is being held at the Jinnah Convention Centre under the theme “The Social, Economic and Political Empowerment of Women in OIC Countries: Challenges and the Way Forward.”
Technical-level sessions on Sunday, the opening day, set the stage for Monday’s ministerial deliberations. Delegates approved the conference agenda and reviewed progress on implementing the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women. The chair of the 8th OIC Ministerial Conference briefed participants on developments achieved under the OIC framework since that session, held in Cairo in 2021. Various institutions also presented reports on women’s development, and technical experts finalized recommendations for ministers to consider on Monday.
The conference is focused on expanding women’s access to education, healthcare, employment, entrepreneurship, financial services, and technology, while addressing barriers to their fuller participation in public life. Discussions will also center on strengthening women’s role in shaping economic and environmental policy across member states.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to inaugurate Monday’s ministerial session. Law and Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar will chair the proceedings on Pakistan’s behalf, and the country will formally assume the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women’s chairmanship from Egypt for the next two years.
Ahead of Sunday’s opening session, Tarar addressed a press conference in Islamabad, calling it a distinct honor for Pakistan to host the moot. He said Pakistan would use the forum to spotlight government initiatives on women’s empowerment and inclusive development, and confirmed the conference would close with the adoption of an “Islamabad Declaration” laying out a shared framework for advancing women’s rights and sustainable development across OIC states.
On the sidelines of the conference, Tarar held separate meetings with ministers and senior officials from Iran, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Syria, Somalia and Yemen, along with representatives of women’s development organizations and the OIC Labour Centre.
Several senior Pakistani leaders are expected to address the conference on Monday, including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Members of the National Assembly Wajeeha Qamar and Saba Sadiq. Their remarks are expected to highlight Pakistan’s initiatives on women’s education, economic inclusion and leadership.
Organizers say the Islamabad session builds directly on the outcomes of the 2021 Cairo conference and is expected to give renewed momentum to cooperation among OIC countries on expanding opportunities for women in social, economic and political life.
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The conference comes as Pakistan continues to face significant gender disparities. The country ranked lowest among 148 nations in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, recording 56.7 percent gender parity, a second consecutive annual decline from its best-ever score of 57.7 percent in 2023. Separately, the International Labour Organisation has reported that women in wage employment in Pakistan earn roughly 30 percent less per month than their male counterparts.
The Islamabad Declaration, expected to be adopted at the close of Monday’s proceedings, will outline the OIC’s collective priorities for advancing women’s empowerment over the coming two-year chairmanship cycle under Pakistan’s leadership.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
