Pakistan welcomes delegates of the 9th OIC Ministerial Conference on Women

The government was all set to host the ninth ministerial conference on women in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on July 12 and 13 by welcoming delegations that arrived at the Islamabad airport on Saturday.

The conference entitled “Socio-economic and political empowerment of Women in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Countries: Challenges and Way Forward” can bring together around 190 delegates from the 57 OIC member countries, including ministers, senior officials and prominent women leaders.

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

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

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

Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, was tasked by the government to chair the Women’s Ministerial Conference to ensure that the country worked closely with member countries of the OIC to advance efforts to empower women throughout the Muslim world.

He was also tasked with promoting dialogue and building consensus on the common cause of gender equality during the two-day conference.

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

The delegates are expected to consider measures to expand women’s access to economic opportunities, financial systems, entrepreneurship, technology and digital platforms, the statement continues.

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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 strengthening their socio-economic participation.

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