Mumtaz Hussain
UNITED NATIONS: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister addressed the UN General Assembly during a high-level meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to advancing women’s rights and empowerment.
In his remarks, the Foreign Minister recalled the 1995 Beijing Conference as a historic moment where nations pledged to ensure equality for women and girls. He stressed that today’s commemoration must go beyond rhetoric to “bold and measurable action.”
Quoting Pakistan’s founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah — “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you” — the Minister said this vision guides Pakistan’s ongoing efforts.
Highlighting progress, he noted women’s increasing leadership across politics, the judiciary, bureaucracy, law enforcement, and the armed forces.
He recalled Pakistan’s pride in electing the Muslim world’s first female Prime Minister, the late Benazir Bhutto, and more recently, the first woman Chief Minister of Punjab, Ms. Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Reserved seats in national, provincial, and local legislatures, he said, continue to amplify women’s voices in policymaking.
The minister also outlined institutional and legal measures, including National and Provincial Commissions on the Status of Women, specialized gender-based violence courts, women’s police stations, and human rights cells. Progressive legislation has been enacted to protect women against violence, workplace harassment, and discrimination.
At the grassroots, social protection and empowerment initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Program and the Prime Minister’s Youth Program are helping women break cycles of poverty, access finance, and pursue vocational and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Acknowledging challenges, the Minister cautioned that progress remains uneven. He emphasized the need to accelerate transformation in line with the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, calling for scaled-up financing for gender equality through national budgets, international cooperation, and innovative partnerships. “Commitments without resources remain unfulfilled promises,” he warned.
Concluding his statement, the Foreign Minister urged the global community to preserve the legacy of the Beijing Declaration, which he described as the “boldest global compact for women’s rights.”
He called for collective action with “urgency, courage, and solidarity” so that every woman and girl can live free from poverty and violence, and contribute to inclusive development.
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