Islamabad: The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming convened at the Parliament House under the leadership of Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA, to evaluate federal budgetary measures supporting gender equality and the economic participation of women. The committee also assessed the implementation status of directives from the Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package 2024.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the committee expressed serious concern over the reported conversion of Nusrat Hostel, a historic working women’s hostel. The committee emphasized the need to preserve and expand such facilities, which are critical for supporting women’s mobility, employment, and economic participation. The committee stressed that these institutions should be strengthened rather than diminished.

The committee also reviewed the status of pending directives requiring budgetary allocations under the Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package 2024. This includes the operationalization of the Working Women Empowerment Fund, the establishment of the National Day Care Fund, and the release of grants for women-focused NGOs and community-based organizations. Concerns were raised over delays in implementation, and the committee highlighted the need for clear timelines, effective governance arrangements, and a dedicated funding mechanism to ensure timely operationalization.

The absence of dedicated funds for women parliamentarians was noted as a constraint on their ability to initiate and support constituency-level interventions for women and marginalized groups. The committee stressed the importance of appropriate mechanisms and resource allocations for women legislators to contribute effectively to socio-economic development in their constituencies.

Dr. Shah highlighted the importance of transparency in tracking expenditures benefiting women and underscored the need for budgetary planning to adequately reflect the needs and priorities of women and girls.