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PESHAWAR, Nov 26 (APP): A key consultative meeting on the upcoming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Empowerment Policy 2026–30 was held here Wednesday under the auspices of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW).
The meeting was attended by KPCSW Chairperson Dr. Sumera Shams, Member Provincial Assembly Sobia Shahid, Head of UN Women Sub-Office Zainab Qaiser Khan, as well as representatives from the Information Department, NADRA, Labour Department, Population Welfare Department and various other institutions and organizations.
Addressing the participants, Dr. Sumera Shams said that the previous Women Empowerment Policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had completed its term, and therefore, formulating a new and improved policy was a pressing need of the hour.
She stressed that strengthening women’s rights, legislation, implementation mechanisms and increasing women’s participation across sectors required the support of public representatives and all relevant institutions. She added that special focus was being placed on proper and timely documentation to ensure effective policymaking.
Gender Specialist at the Social Welfare Department, Syeda Nudrat, delivered a detailed briefing on progress and challenges related to women’s empowerment. She noted that despite the presence of certain laws, implementation had lagged for various reasons.
She highlighted that the literacy rate for men in the province stands at 64–66 percent, whereas for women it is only 37 percent—reflecting a major challenge.
The workshop also reviewed several laws and policy measures, including the KP Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act 2019, the revision and restructuring of the Women Empowerment Policy, gender integration in the KP Climate Change Policy 2022, gender analysis reports of the education and health sectors (2024), the enforcement of strict anti-harassment laws, measures to curb child marriage, and funding mechanisms for implementing the Women Empowerment Policy.
The participants recommended incorporating inheritance rights as a key component of the new policy.
They also discussed the need to strengthen implementation of existing laws, as and eliminate the practice of dowry.
A presentation by the KPCSW concluded that the comprehensive implementation plan for the Women Empowerment Policy 2026–30 would be finalized soon, ensuring effective execution and monitoring of the policy once approved.