The Senate of Pakistan on Friday passed a resolution on International Women’s day, emphasising the importance of ‘Gender Equality Through Economic Empowerment’.

Senator Sania Nishtar, Senator Sana Jamali, and Senator Seemee Ezdi tabled the resolution, highlighting the persistent disparities and challenges faced by women and girls including economic, social, and political barriers.

The resolution urged the government to take measures to ensure and enhance women’s economic inclusion and to facilitate support mechanisms for women and girls to access leadership, decision-making roles, entrepreneurship and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields through strategic planning and educational reforms.

The Senators also called for introducing gender-sensitive policies and fostering inclusive work environments that prioritise the well-being and advancement of women.

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The Upper House stressed reforming national health policies to empower women to make informed decisions about their health and reproductive rights.

The resolution also urged for eliminating all forms of violence against women through an effective and robust legal justice system.

The Senate urged all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organisations, media, and academia to join hands for gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmad requested to pay tribute to the innocent women of Palestine for their bravery and hardships.

Senator Syed Ali Zafar said that the house must also pay tribute to the women prisoners of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.