ISLAMABAD: Law and Human Rights Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday stressed that the “active engagement” of men and boys was essential to achieving lasting gender equality as he addressed the second and final day of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) 9th Ministerial Conference on Women in Islamabad.
Pakistan is hosting the conference, which brought together delegates from 57 OIC member states. Technical-level meetings were held on Sunday, while ministerial sessions concluded on Monday.
Addressing the conference as chair, Tarar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its legal, policy and institutional framework to expand the rights, opportunities and leadership of women.
“Lasting progress cannot be achieved by women alone; real and sustainable change requires the active engagement of men and boys as partners in promoting equality, respect and shared responsibility,” he said.
He added that building inclusive societies was a collective responsibility requiring the commitment of every institution and citizen.
“For Pakistan, empowerment of women is not simply a policy objective; it is a national priority enshrined in our Constitution, inspired by our faith and essential to our future,” the minister said.
Tarar highlighted that Pakistan was promoting women’s leadership, financial inclusion and entrepreneurship, narrowing the digital divide, improving access to justice and creating safer, more inclusive workplaces through the National Gender Policy Framework, Vision 2025 and the Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package.
Referring to Pakistan’s role as chair of the conference, he said Islamabad viewed the position not as a matter of prestige but as a responsibility to build consensus, listen carefully and turn shared aspirations into practical measures that improve the lives of women across the Muslim world.
He said the true success of the conference would be measured not by the declarations adopted but by the opportunities created after delegates returned to their respective countries.
The minister noted that women across OIC member states were driving economic growth, advancing scientific progress, strengthening institutions, leading businesses, serving in public office and contributing to peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts.
“Their achievements continue to shape stronger families, more resilient communities and more prosperous nations,” he said.
At the same time, Tarar acknowledged that millions of women and girls across OIC countries continued to face barriers limiting their opportunities and preventing them from fully contributing to national development.
“Our responsibility is not simply to acknowledge these realities. It is to change them,” he said, adding that no nation could fully realise its potential while half of its population was denied equal opportunities to learn, work, innovate and lead.
“Our responsibility is not to define their potential. It is to remove the barriers that prevent it from being realised,” he added.
Emphasising greater cooperation among OIC member states, Tarar said countries could accelerate progress by sharing successful experiences, learning from one another and strengthening institutional partnerships.
“The OIC provides a unique platform to translate these aspirations into collective action,” he remarked.
The minister also highlighted the plight of women and girls living through conflict, occupation, displacement and humanitarian crises, paying tribute to the resilience of women in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza while also remembering those in Afghanistan and India-occupied Kashmir.
“Their struggle reminds us that empowerment is not only about opportunities. It is equally about protection, dignity and hope. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind because of conflict, poverty and inequality,” he said.
Tarar further underscored the importance of harnessing digital innovation and artificial intelligence (AI) to expand access to education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.
Warning against the risks of emerging technologies, he said that if left unchecked, they could create new forms of inequality, discrimination and exclusion. He stressed that the digital future must serve as a bridge to inclusion rather than become another barrier for women.
‘No nation can grow while excluding half its population’
Addressing the conference, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani paid tribute to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, describing her as the first woman prime minister of the Muslim world and saying Muslim women today continued to carry forward her legacy.
He also praised Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai as a symbol of women’s empowerment.
Highlighting the importance of women’s participation in the workforce, Gilani said no nation could achieve sustainable development while excluding half of its human capital from opportunities, leadership and decision-making.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing women’s empowerment through improved access to education, digital inclusion and employment opportunities.
Speaking about government initiatives, Gilani highlighted the Benazir Income Support Programme, saying it had helped reduce poverty among vulnerable households while improving the enrolment of girls and women in schools and educational institutions, enabling greater participation in economic growth.
He added that Pakistan had also increased women’s representation in elected bodies through reserved seats, allowing women to serve as parliamentarians, judges, diplomats, entrepreneurs, civil servants, journalists and industry leaders across multiple sectors.
In his address, the Senate chairman also identified gender-based violence as one of the greatest obstacles to women’s empowerment.
“Empowerment cannot flourish where violence and discrimination can increasingly persist,” Gilani said.