ISLAMABAD – MNN: The Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming has expressed serious concern over the reported conversion of Nusrat Hostel, one of Pakistan’s oldest working women’s hostels, and called for enhanced measures to support women’s economic participation and empowerment.
The committee, chaired by MNA Dr. Nafisa Shah, met at Parliament House to review federal budgetary measures aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s economic inclusion, as well as the implementation status of directives issued under the Prime Minister’s Women Empowerment Package 2024.
Committee members emphasized that safe and affordable accommodation facilities for working women are essential for enhancing women’s mobility, employment opportunities and participation in the national economy. They observed that institutions such as Nusrat Hostel should be strengthened and expanded rather than reduced or converted for other purposes.
The committee also reviewed pending initiatives under the Women Empowerment Package 2024, including the operationalization of the Working Women Empowerment Fund, establishment of the National Day Care Fund and the release of grants for women-focused non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations.
Members voiced concern over delays in implementing these initiatives and stressed the need for clear timelines, effective governance structures and dedicated funding mechanisms to ensure their timely execution.
The committee further noted that the absence of dedicated development funds for women parliamentarians limits their capacity to undertake constituency-level projects aimed at addressing the needs of women and marginalized communities. Members recommended the introduction of appropriate financial mechanisms to enable female legislators to play a more effective role in the socio-economic development of their constituencies.
Chairperson Dr. Nafisa Shah highlighted the importance of transparency in identifying and tracking expenditures benefiting women and called for budgetary planning that adequately reflects the needs and priorities of women and girls across the country.