The UN Women and UNDP under its EU Funded Project – Pakistan Women Leaders organized a workshop on Gender-Responsive Budgeting and Planning (GRBP) in collaboration with Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services, and Women Parliamentary Caucus at its premises in Islamabad, bringing together women parliamentarians to strengthen gender-responsive budgeting and public financial management.

The session began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by a programme overview by Syed Zain Gillani, Director General (PDP&C), PIPS.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Asim Khan Goraya, Executive Director, PIPS, underscored the importance of integrating gender perspectives into budgeting processes for inclusive development. He stated that governments around the world are facing rising economic inequalities, social vulnerabilities, and development challenges. In such a context, women’s empowerment is not only a matter of rights and representation; it is also an economic imperative.

Ms. Fahmida Iqbal Khan, Deputy Country Representative, UN Women, highlighted gender-responsive budgeting as a key approach to advancing gender equality and supporting evidence-based policymaking.

Hon. Dr. Shahida Rehmani, Secretary, Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), emphasized the role of parliamentarians in promoting gender-sensitive fiscal policies and strengthening oversight for equitable resource allocation. She stated that women represent fifty percent of the population and they deserve to have a significant share in the budget-making process.

A technical session on “Gender Analysis of Previous Federal Budget” was conducted by Ms. Rashida Dohad, Specialist, Gender-Responsive Budgeting, focusing on identifying gaps and opportunities for more equitable allocation of public resources.

The workshop reflects continued efforts to strengthen institutional capacities and advance gender-responsive budgeting practices for more inclusive and equitable development outcomes.