WPC holds focus group discussion on gender-responsive budgeting in parliament

ISLAMABAD, Aug 20 (APP): The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) of the National Assembly, under the chairpersonship of its Secretary, Dr. Shahida Rehmani, MNA, in collaboration with Resource and Support Hub (RSH) Pakistan, held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) here on Thursday.

The consultation brought together Members of Parliament and representatives of RSH Pakistan to discuss strengthening gender-responsive financing, budget tracking, parliamentary oversight and accountability, particularly in relation to gender-based violence (GBV), safeguarding and protection.

The session was attended by Ms. Saba Sadiq, MNA and Parliamentary Secretary for Human Rights; Ms. Shumaila Rana, MNA; Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan, MNA; Ms. Mussarat Rafique Mahesar, MNA; Mrs. Farakh Khan, MNA; Ms. Huma Chughtai, MNA; Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, MNA; Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, MNA; Ms. Shahnaz Saleem Malik, MNA; Ms. Muneeba Iqbal, MNA; Ms. Erum Hamid Hameed, MNA; Ms. Khalida Ateeb, Senator; Ms. Husna Bano, Senator; Ms. Minail Khan, Chief Technical Advisor, NA Secretariat; Ms. Asma Kiran, Country Lead, RSH Pakistan; and Mr. Iftikhar Khan, Consultant, RSH Pakistan.

Secretary WPC, Dr. Shahida Rehmani emphasised that Gender-Responsive Budgeting should not be treated merely as a technical exercise. She stressed that Parliament must ensure that gender-related legislative commitments are adequately financed, effectively implemented and translated into meaningful outcomes for women and girls. She also highlighted the need to look beyond budget allocations and examine the complete accountability chain, from allocation and release to expenditure, service delivery, implementation and parliamentary scrutiny.

MNAs stressed the need for a strong and effective mechanism to monitor gender-responsive budget allocations in every Ministry and Department. They proposed that a designated focal person on gender budgeting should be nominated in each Ministry and Department to facilitate coordination, monitoring, reporting and implementation of gender-tagged allocations.

Members further emphasised the importance of sensitising Chairpersons of Standing Committees on Gender-Responsive Budgeting so that gender considerations are given due attention during deliberations on ministry-wise budgets, policies, programmes and performance. They also called for regular monitoring to ensure that gender budget tagging is properly implemented and reflected in actual expenditure and outcomes.

Another important recommendation was to ensure appropriate representation of women in public-sector schemes, programmes and departmental initiatives, with Members proposing that a women’s quota or defined participation target should be incorporated, wherever appropriate, in schemes and programmes to ensure that women benefit equitably from public resources and development interventions.

Ms. Asma Kiran, Country Lead, Resource and Support Hub (RSH) Pakistan, highlighted the importance of strengthening systems for safeguarding, prevention of gender-based violence and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. She noted that Gender-Responsive Budgeting can provide an effective framework for ensuring that commitments to gender equality and protection are reflected in public priorities and resource allocations.

The discussion also focused on improving the visibility, traceability and accountability of gender- and GBV-related expenditure, including through clearer budget information, institutional responsibility mapping, expenditure tracking and stronger parliamentary follow-up.

The participants agreed that effective Gender-Responsive Budgeting requires a practical mechanism that links legislative commitments with budget allocations, implementation, expenditure and measurable results.

The consultation concluded with a call for stronger coordination between Parliament, Ministries, Standing Committees and technical partners to improve gender budget monitoring and ensure that public resources respond effectively to the needs and priorities of women and girls.

The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement on Gender-Responsive Budgeting, parliamentary oversight and accountable public financing, with the objective of making gender-related allocations more visible, traceable, effectively implemented and results-oriented.