Pakistan welcomes delegates to 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women

The government was set to host the ninth Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on July 12 and 13, welcoming the delegations that arrived at Islamabad airport on Saturday.

The conference titled “Socio-economic and political empowerment of women in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries: Challenges and way forward” may bring together around 190 delegates from the 57 OIC member states, including ministers, senior government officials and prominent women leaders.

The foreign delegations were received at Islamabad International Airport by Minister of State for Law and Justice, Advocate Aqeel Malik, Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights, Saba Sadiq, and Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice, Farah Naz Akbar, along with other senior government officials.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar also celebrated the arrival of the delegates through a social media post.

“A warm welcome to all delegates arriving at the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad. We wish you productive discussions and a memorable stay in Islamabad,” she wrote in X.

The government tasked Federal Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, to chair the women’s ministerial conference to ensure that the country worked closely with OIC member states to advance efforts towards women’s empowerment across the Muslim world.

She was also tasked with fostering dialogue and building consensus towards the unified cause of gender equality during the two-day conference.

The conference aims to empower women by promoting their social, economic, political and professional participation and at the same time promote inclusive and sustainable development throughout the Muslim world.

Delegates are expected to deliberate on measures to expand women’s access to economic opportunities, financial systems, entrepreneurship, technology and digital platforms, the statement said.

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The conference will build on the outcomes of previous OIC ministerial meetings on women, particularly the eighth session held in Cairo in 2021, which focused on women’s empowerment, protection frameworks and improving their socio-economic participation.

As host, Pakistan remains committed to using the conference as a platform to reaffirm its commitment to consolidate cooperation among OIC member states to reduce gender gaps and ensure inclusive development across sectors.