Statement by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan

Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan

At the Second Ministerial Conference on

“Women's Role in the Development of OIC Member States”

Cairo , November 24-25, 2008

Madame Chairperson,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my privilege to address this august gathering on a subject of critical importance not only to the Muslim Ummah but the world in general. We wish to express our thanks to the government and people of the brotherly country of Egypt for showering us with such hospitality. We also thank the Secretary General of the OIC and his team for organizing this Conference in fulfillment of the Resolution adopted at the 32 nd Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in Sana'a in 2005. As a founding Member State , Pakistan has actively participated in the process leading up to this Conference and we assure full support towards the success of this event.

Madame Chairperson,

The OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of women (OPAAW) that we intend to adopt signifies the road map for improvement of the conditions of women which would enhance their status. It has been finalized through an open and constructive process of deliberations over the last two years. In adopting the Cairo Plan of Action for women we must express our resolve to fully implement this road map in letter and spirit. This implementation would not only be essential to socio-economic development in the Member States but carries a larger political significance at a time when the true image of Islam is marred by misguided acts of terrorism that are being wrongly associated with the true faith in a most unfortunate manner.

Madame Chairperson,

As a country that takes pride in making history by electing the then first women Prime Minister (Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto) in the Muslim world, we are engaged in continued effort to mainstream gender equality in all sectors. We have taken important strides to this end by taking legislative steps on women's rights and ensuring a minimum of 33 percent of representation for women not only in the National and provincial Assemblies but in representative bodies at the grass root level.

By the grace of Allah and with the support of the masses, a true democratically elected government has been in place in Pakistan . Shaheed Benazir Bhutto sacrificed her life for democracy, peace and prosperity of 160 million Pakistanis. The elected people's government is fully aware of the existing conditions of women and their status in the society. Women development and empowerment is a top priority concern of the government. Pakistani women have demonstrated great potential and success in all walks of life. Apart from their active role in the traditional sectors of education and health, women are visible in the civil service, armed forces and police. Pakistan 's National Assembly has women Speaker (Dr. Fehmida Mirza) and acting President. The Government is striving hard for improvement in the lives of Pakistani women through political, legal, social and economic empowerment. In this regard, some significant measures have been taken by the government to address the issues, including enactment of necessary laws. Twenty-five Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Centres for Women have been established to provide temporary shelters, free legal aid, medical relief and legal and psycho-social counseling services to women in distress. A 10% quota for women in Civil Services of Pakistan has been reserved.

According to Pakistan's vision, 2030, Pakistan is a country where women enjoy equal rights, equal respect, equal decision-making authority, equal mobility, equal protection, equal access to law and justice, equality under the law, equality in economic empowerment opportunities, and equality in society – in status, worth and value.

The Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF: 2005-10) synchronizes development plans, especially with reference to women's empowerment and gender equality, with national as well as international commitments notably the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Millennium Development Goals and the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The MTDF translates these commitments into concrete and tangible development efforts with benchmarks and financial outlays for the period 2005-10.

Let me conclude by assuring Pakistan 's full commitment to implementing OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women and contributing towards furthering the process being initiated in this beautiful and historic city, within the framework of the OIC.

Thank you.