Islamabad: The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming of Pakistan’s National Assembly convened at Parliament House to assess workplace harassment protections and the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP). The meeting, chaired by Dr. Nafisa Shah, followed a Federal Constitutional Court judgment in Usman Shahid v. Nadia Sarwar, sparking discussions on legislative intent and gender-disaggregated policy impacts.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan provided a legal briefing on the federal review petition, indicating a significant omission in the court’s decision regarding legislative developments. The committee noted the judgment’s departure from established principles recognizing harassment as rooted in power imbalances, rather than solely sexual conduct, raising concerns over potential discouragement of reporting harassment.

The committee also reviewed the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection against Harassment’s (FOSPAH) case disposal performance, which showed a 98% resolution rate since 2010. The committee appreciated FOSPAH’s efficiency but emphasized the need for safeguards against retaliation.

In examining the PMYP, the committee praised progress under its 4Es Framework, highlighting increased female participation in loan schemes and skills training. The committee recommended setting a benchmark for female participation in loans and engaging Rural Support Organisations for micro-finance outreach to rural women. Additionally, it called for multi-lingual awareness campaigns to enhance programme visibility.