Uniting for change, uniting for gender equality
Despite decades of advocacy and constitutional quotas, women in Pakistan remain underrepresented in legislative bodies. Currently, women make up just over 21% of the National Assembly and 17.7% of the Senate, with similar trends across provincial assemblies. While recent elections saw modest gains, Pakistan still lags behind global and regional benchmarks. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (July 2025), women hold 27.1% of parliamentary seats worldwide and 21.9% across regional parliaments of Asia. Pakistan’s progress on women’s representation is encouraging but highlights the need for continued efforts to ensure meaningful participation and leadership.
The recent formation of the Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) in Punjab is a timely and much-needed step forward. It offers a structured platform for women lawmakers to lead policy reform, strengthen representation, and drive gender-responsive legislation.
Women Parliamentary Caucus - A Powerful Platform for Women’s Voices
In December 2024, the Punjab Assembly established its first-ever Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) for women legislators to join forces across party lines and shape laws that reflect the realities of all Pakistanis.
In April 2025, the WPC’s Working Council developed a one-year action plan focused on inclusive legislation, institutional reform, and political empowerment.
For the WPC’s Convener Begum Ishrat Ashraf, this Caucus represents much more than a procedural milestone, it’s a long-awaited opportunity.
“This is a valuable platform to elevate women's voices, shape inclusive laws, and build momentum for change,” she says.
The WPC has prioritised several structural reforms, for example, increasing the number of women in Standing Committees, advocating for gender-responsive budgeting and creating a more supportive workplace by providing daycare facilities and a dedicated women’s lounge at the Punjab Assembly.
Reforming Laws - Tackling What Matters Most
The WPC’s legislative agenda is prioritising the review and reform of laws related to child marriage, workplace harassment, family law, inheritance rights, welfare of women prisoners, mental health, protection against gender-based violence, and climate change, ensuring these laws better respond to the lived experiences of women across Punjab.
To promote institutional accountability, the WPC plans to conduct gender audits of public departments. The Caucus members emphasise that they are not there just to fill seats, but shape how the legislation works in a meaningful manner.
With Punjab’s upcoming budget for FY 2025-26, the WPC is preparing to push for gender-responsive allocations particularly for rural and underserved communities. They are advocating for small loan programmes for rural women, proposing equal budget access for women MPAs on reserved seats, and lobbying for women-led development schemes in the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
Lessons from Abroad, Action at Home
International insights brought fresh energy to the work plan development workshop. Mary Cummins, Team Lead of Mustehkam Parlimaan, reflected on Ireland’s own progress toward gender equality and the vital role EU policies have played in reforms like equal pay and parental leave.
She says that “The journey is far from over. It is clear that when women lead, everyone benefits.”
Budget experts from the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) and the Finance Ministry provided practical tools for reviewing legislation through a gender lens, reinforcing that inclusive policy isn’t just the right thing, it’s also smart governance.
A Model for the Future
With strong political backing from the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and the support of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the WPC is positioned to set new standards in legislative inclusion. Its collaborative, cross-party design offers a model that other provinces and parliaments can replicate.
The European Union’s continued support through Mustehkam Parlimaan reinforces the broader commitment to democratic governance and gender equality in Pakistan.
As the WPC begins its journey, it sends a powerful message: inclusive politics is not only possible, but also essential.