The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) 9th Ministerial Conference on Women began in Islamabad on Sunday, with the opening day dedicated to technical-level discussions ahead of the ministerial session.
Pakistan is hosting the two-day event at the Jinnah Convention Centre under the theme “Socio-Economic and Political Empowerment of Women in the OIC Countries: Challenges and Way Forward.”
Nearly 190 delegates, including ministers, senior officials and representatives from the OIC’s 57 member states, are participating in the conference. The gathering aims to explore strategies for improving women’s participation in social, economic and political spheres while enhancing cooperation among member countries.
Key discussions are centred on increasing women’s access to education, healthcare, employment, entrepreneurship, financial services, technology and digital opportunities.
Sunday’s proceedings featured technical experts and senior officials holding preparatory meetings to finalise recommendations that will be presented to ministers during Monday’s main session.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to formally inaugurate the ministerial meeting on Monday, while Federal Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar will preside over the conference on Pakistan’s behalf.
Speaking at a press conference before the opening session, Tarar described Pakistan’s hosting of the conference as a significant honour. He said the country would use the platform to showcase its efforts to promote women’s empowerment and foster a more inclusive society.
He also confirmed that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja will participate in the event. The conference is scheduled to conclude with the adoption of the Islamabad Declaration, which is expected to establish a shared roadmap for advancing women’s empowerment and supporting inclusive, sustainable development across OIC member states.
Tarar further announced that Pakistan will officially take over the chairmanship of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women from Egypt for the next two years.
The Islamabad conference follows the previous ministerial meeting held in Cairo in 2021 and is expected to strengthen cooperation among OIC countries in expanding opportunities for women and enhancing their role in social, economic and political development.
The conference comes as Pakistan continues to face major gender equality challenges. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, Pakistan ranked last among 148 countries, achieving a gender parity score of 56.7%, marking its second consecutive annual decline after reaching a high of 57.7% in 2023.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that women employed in wage-paying jobs in Pakistan earn roughly 30% less per month than their male counterparts.
