Islamabad, June 16, 2026: Pakistan and Thailand have agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of women’s empowerment, political participation, economic inclusion, and peacebuilding during a meeting between senior members of Pakistan’s Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) and Thailand’s Ambassador to Pakistan.
The meeting, held at the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus Office in Islamabad, brought together Secretary WPC, Dr. Shahida Rehmani; Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Nafisa Shah; Treasurer WPC, Shahida Begum; and Thailand’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Rongvudhi Virabutr.
At the outset, the participants expressed condolences to the people and Royal Family of Thailand on the passing of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati and conveyed solidarity with the Thai nation during the period of mourning.
Welcoming the ambassador, Dr. Shahida Rehmani highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Thailand and underscored the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties. She emphasized the role of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus as a bipartisan platform dedicated to advancing women’s rights, gender equality, and inclusive governance.
She noted that both countries could benefit from greater collaboration and the exchange of experiences in areas such as women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, gender-responsive budgeting, leadership development, and parliamentary engagement on gender equality.
Dr. Nafisa Shah appreciated Thailand’s support for vocational and beauty skills training programmes and called for the expansion of such initiatives to Pakistan’s provinces. She also welcomed Thailand’s contributions to the agriculture sector and advocated broader cooperation aimed at empowering women through agricultural development.
Highlighting the importance of parliamentary exchanges, Dr. Shah said Pakistani women parliamentarians would welcome opportunities to engage with their Thai counterparts through mutual visits and study programmes. She also acknowledged the role of UN Women in supporting women’s empowerment initiatives and stressed the need for stronger collaboration.
Recalling her role in organizing Pakistan’s first conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) in 2010, Dr. Nafisa Shah expressed interest in working closely with Thailand on WPS-related initiatives. She also emphasized the importance of gender-responsive budgeting as a key priority of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and proposed greater cooperation in advancing gender-sensitive fiscal policies.
Shahida Begum welcomed the ambassador and appreciated Thailand’s efforts to promote women’s empowerment, proposing stronger institutional linkages and exchanges between Pakistani and Thai women legislators to encourage mutual learning and cooperation.
Ambassador Rongvudhi Virabutr reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to women’s empowerment and highlighted ongoing collaboration with UN Women and Pakistan’s Women’s Parliamentary Caucus to enhance women’s economic participation.
He shared details of a women’s economic empowerment initiative being implemented in Sialkot with the support of UN Women, alongside programmes focused on women’s entrepreneurship, vocational training, beauty skills development, and economic opportunities within the broader care and marriage economy.
The ambassador also outlined Thailand’s support for women in agriculture, noting that the first phase of a training programme involving 30 women participants had already commenced. He said advanced training activities would continue in July and August to further strengthen women’s participation and leadership in the agricultural sector.
On Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Virabutr informed participants that Thailand is preparing to launch its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and expressed interest in collaborating with Pakistan in this important area. Both sides agreed that closer cooperation and exchange of experiences could contribute to peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and strengthening women’s leadership in governance and security.
The ambassador further stressed the importance of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that only a few years remain until the 2030 deadline. He emphasized that women’s economic empowerment remains a critical driver of sustainable and inclusive development.
The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening partnerships aimed at promoting gender equality, economic inclusion, and sustainable development.
