QUETTA: Speakers at a round table conference on Thursday stressed the need for creating an enabling environment for women empowerment through better laws and policies.

The discussion focused on Balochistan’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5-gender equality and SDG 10-reduced inequalities and the legal commitments under Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the role parliamentarians can play.

It was noted during the discussion that Pakistan was the first country to integrate the SDGs in its national development agendas and that the provincial SDG units were working in this regard.

The conference, organised by Shirkat Gah and Women’s Resource Centre, was attended by Dr Rubaba Buledi, chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, parliamentary secretary for health Mahjabeen Sheeran, parliamentary secretary for women development, MPAs Bushra Rind and Zeenat Shahwani, Adviser to the Chief Minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara, MPA Qadir Nayal and representatives of the National Commission for Human Rights, National Commission on the Status of Women, Ministry of Human Rights, etc.

Farida Shaheed, Executive Director of Shirkat Gah, shared Pakistan’s priority list, the indicators adopted and those left out, particularly those relating to gender equality such as ending early age marriage and maternal mortality.

She stressed the need for these indicators to be included in the development agenda so that no one would be left behind.

The representative of the Balochistan SDG unit said that the SDG Agenda was owned by the government of Balochistan and that the priorities had been identified and indicators developed for the provincial and district levels.

A major limitation in reporting Balochistan’s progress was the lack of available data, especially gender disaggregated data. It was shared that the SDGs unit was working with planning and development department on the current budget to map it according to the SDG indicators.

The SDG unit representative requested the MPAs to engage with ministries’ secretaries to review SDG progress.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2021