The Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS), in collaboration with Federal Women Parliamentary Caucus, UN Women and UNDP successfully arranged a Workshop on Pro-Women Laws and Legislative Scrutiny for Federal Women’s Parliamentary Caucus on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, with the aim of strengthening parliamentary capacity for gender-responsive legislation and effective legislative oversight. The workshop was attended by 40 participants including 17 Honorable members of the Federal Women Parliamentary Caucus.
The workshop commenced with welcome remarks by Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director, PIPS, who warmly welcomed the Federal Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), parliamentarians, development partners, and participants. He highlighted PIPS’ lead in hosting the workshop on “Pro-Women Laws and Legislative Scrutiny” and acknowledged the leadership of Dr. Shahida Rehmani and support from UN Women, particularly Mr. Jamshed M. Kazi. Emphasizing women’s vital role in socio-economic development, he stressed the importance of gender-responsive legislation and effective scrutiny. He concluded by thanking partners and expressing hope for stronger pro-women laws and inclusive policymaking.
Mr. Jamshed M. Kazi, Country Representative, UN Women, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the importance of gender-responsive laws and the role of parliamentary institutions in advancing women’s rights. He highlighted the workshop’s aim to strengthen legislative scrutiny, build drafting confidence, and foster cross-party dialogue, ensuring women’s rights move from moral arguments to enforceable legal realities.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary, Federal Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. She highlighted the WPC’s cross-party efforts to advance gender equality, strengthen pro-women legislation, and enhance legislative scrutiny. Emphasizing well-drafted, enforceable laws, she encouraged active participation in the workshop to build consensus, improve legislative review, and ensure laws translate into meaningful change for women across Pakistan.
The technical sessions featured expert-led discussions on legislative scrutiny and drafting practices. Mr. Muhammad Khashih ur Rehman, Draftsman and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, led a session on tools and techniques for effective legislative scrutiny, focusing on analysing bills through a gender-responsive lens. This was followed by a session on building consensus for pro-women laws by Syed Shamoon Hashmi, Special Secretary, National Assembly of Pakistan, who shared practical insights drawn from parliamentary experience. In the afternoon, Mr. Sheikh Sarfraz Ahmed, Senior Drafting Specialist, conducted a hands-on workshop on drafting gender-responsive laws, guiding participants through practical approaches to embedding gender considerations in legislative texts.
The concluding session included remarks by Ms. Van Nguye, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP, and Mr. Syed Ali Hameed, Founder and Chairperson, SFEA, who reiterated the importance of coordinated efforts among parliamentary institutions, development partners, and civil society. The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by the Secretary Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, reaffirming the collective commitment to strengthening legislative scrutiny and ensuring effective implementation of pro-women laws in Pakistan.