June 6, 2023
Staff report
ISLAMABAD
Day two of the conference ‘Reclaiming The Space: Reading the Constitution from Women’s Perspective’ began with a session on “Women’s Empowerment” co-chaired by Eng Rukhsana Zuberi, Member of the Senate, and Ms. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Parliamentarians, members of the legal fraternity and civil society organizations gathered for a seminar on organized by the Ministry of Law & Justice and the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus at Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), Islamabad.
Speakers Dr. Saima Hamid, Ms. Fouzia Yazdani and Mr. Iqbal Detho contributed to discussions aimed at enhancing access to resources, support systems for vulnerable women, and gender-responsive budgeting. The outcomes sought to contribute to constitutional reforms that strengthen women’s empowerment and ensure their full participation in society.
Dr. Saima Hamid recommended prioritizing gender-responsive public policy, ensuring effective implementation, and fostering public-private partnerships,to achieve women’s empowerment.
Iqbal Detho emphasized the role of national human rights institutions as a bridge between the government and civil society and for compliance of international human rights instruments.
Asma Manzoor recommended revisiting the language of the Constitution and those articles and laws which promote gender bias for instance certain clauses in the nikkahnama form.
Fauzia Yazdani stressed the need for engagement with the Constitution and teaching it in schools so that the younger generation provides a refreshing view of it. She further called for gender-responsive budgeting to ensure equality in Pakistan.