Islamabad, June 18, 2026: The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, chaired by Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA, met at Parliament House to review federal budgetary measures supporting gender equality and women's economic participation, as well as the implementation status of budget-related directives under the Prime Minister's Women Empowerment Package 2024.

 

The Committee expressed serious concern over the reported conversion of Nusrat Hostel, one of the country's oldest working women's hostels, and emphasized the importance of preserving and expanding safe and affordable accommodation facilities for working women. Members observed that such institutions play a critical role in facilitating women's mobility, employment, and economic participation and should be strengthened rather than diminished.

 

The Committee further reviewed the status of pending directives requiring budgetary allocations under the Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package 2024, including the operationalization of the Working Women Empowerment Fund, the establishment of the National Day Care Fund, and the release of grants earmarked for women-focused NGOs and community-based organizations. Members expressed concern over delays in implementation and emphasized the need for clear timelines, effective governance arrangements, and a dedicated funding mechanism to ensure the timely operationalization of these initiatives. 

 

The Committee observed that the absence of dedicated funds for women parliamentarians constrains their ability to initiate and support constituency-level interventions aimed at addressing the needs of women and other marginalised groups. Members emphasized the need for appropriate mechanisms and resource allocations to enable women legislators to effectively contribute to the socio-economic development of their constituencies.

 

The Chair highlighted the need for greater transparency in identifying and tracking expenditures benefiting women and stressed the importance of ensuring that budgetary planning adequately reflects the needs and priorities of women and girls.