Islamabad: A high-level policy dialogue on gender-responsive budgeting in the justice sector was organized by UN Women Pakistan with support from the European Union in Islamabad. The event focused on enhancing equitable and accountable public finance systems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, aiming to align provincial budget allocations with gender-responsive reforms to improve women’s access to justice.
According to United Nations Pakistan, the dialogue addressed the need to convert fiscal evidence into actionable reforms, emphasizing the gap between increased spending and targeted investment in gender-responsive services. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation to the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, highlighted the governance imperative of gender-responsive budgeting in justice sector reforms.
Ms. Fahmida Iqbal Khan, Deputy Country Representative of UN Women Pakistan, stressed the necessity of translating investments into justice outcomes, while Mr. Abdul Khaliq Sheikh, Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, emphasized institutional accountability for equitable justice outcomes.
The event featured technical presentations and discussions on strengthening gender-responsive budgeting in police, prosecution, and judiciary systems. Presentations revealed gaps in sector allocations and highlighted the need for targeted investments in services like survivor support and gender-sensitive infrastructure. The panel discussion, “From Fiscal Growth to Gender Outcomes: What Must Change in Upcoming Development Budgets?” identified reforms such as strengthening gender budget tagging and improving data systems.
The dialogue concluded with a commitment to advance gender-responsive finance reforms, ensuring future budget allocations lead to improved justice access and protection services for women and girls in KP and Balochistan. The event was part of the EU-funded program “Promoting Rule of Law and Enhancing the Criminal Justice System,” valued at approximately USD 20 million, implemented by UNDP, UN Women, and UNODC.