Islamabad, March 6, 2026: The 9th meeting of the Working Council of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly of Pakistan was held virtually under the leadership of WPC Secretary Dr. Shahida Rehmani, bringing together women parliamentarians from Pakistan and Turkmenistan to discuss cooperation on women’s rights and family values.
The meeting focused on the evolving role of women parliamentarians in national legislatures and provided a platform for participants to exchange legislative experiences related to the protection of women’s rights and the promotion of family values.
From Pakistan, members of the Working Council of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus participated in the session, including Dr. Shahida Rehmani (Secretary WPC), Ms. Shahida Begum (Treasurer WPC), Syeda Shehla Raza, MNA, Ms. Munaza Hassan, MNA, Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan, MNA, and Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardhy Taimur.
The Turkmenistan delegation included Ms. Bayramgozel Myradova, Chairperson of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy of the Parliament of Turkmenistan; Ms. Hatycha Mustakova, Member of the same committee; Ms. Mengli Diwanova, Member of the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms; Ms. Jenet Owekova, Member of the Committee on Legality; Ms. Jeren Geldiyeva, Member of the Committee on Social Policy; Ms. Enejan Atayeva, Member of the Committee on International and Interparliamentary Relations; Ms. Chemen Rejepova, Member of the Committee on Work with Local Representative Authorities and Self-Government Bodies; and Ms. Jahangul Myradova, Specialist of the Committee for Environmental Protection, Use of Natural Resources and Agro-Industrial Complex of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Dr. Faryal Leghari, and Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Atadjan Movlamov, reflecting growing parliamentary engagement between the two countries.
During the meeting, the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus shared its institutional experience and best practices in promoting women’s participation in parliamentary processes. Participants were briefed on the structure, mandate and achievements of the WPC, as well as the functioning of national and provincial women’s parliamentary caucuses that serve as cross-party platforms for women legislators to advocate gender-sensitive legislation and policy dialogue.
The WPC of Pakistan was established in 2008 through a resolution of the National Assembly with the objective of strengthening women’s participation in parliamentary affairs and advancing gender-responsive legislation.
During the discussion, the Pakistani side also suggested that Turkmenistan consider establishing a Women’s Parliamentary Caucus in its parliament, noting that such a platform could enhance cooperation among women legislators and support gender-sensitive policymaking.
The WPC further invited women parliamentarians from Turkmenistan to visit Pakistan and observe the functioning of the caucus, particularly during the upcoming visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Pakistan.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants from both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration among women parliamentarians and advancing efforts for the protection of women’s rights and the promotion of family values through parliamentary cooperation and legislative initiatives.
