About WPC
The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) is a cross-party forum for women parliamentarians of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The WPC was established to enhance women’s participation and engagement in all Parliamentary affairs. The caucus was created on 21 November 2008, by a resolution of the National Assembly. WPC is run by an elected Secretary along with a Working Council comprising of women parliamentarians both from the government and opposition parties.
The WPC carries out the following functions:
The Vision of WPC
To provide a non-partisan for all women parliamentarians from all political parties in the Parliament of Pakistan to have a collective voice on legislation related to women, girls and gender equality.
The Mission of WPC
To work together along with male champions towards building consensus on specific gender issues that are affecting human lives and are in violation of rights given by the constitution. WPC is strategically positioned to influence gender sensitive legislation.
The Caucus has provided women legislators a forum where they could work for the development, empowerment and emancipation of women above the party politics. WPC connects with women parliamentarians across the globe by forming and strengthening alliances. WPC actively engages with international organizations and networks in order to enhance women’s rights and lead towards greater empowerment through exchange of ideas and best practices. WPC regularly coordinates and communicates with many reputed organizations outside the Parliament to oversee and extend support to implementation of gender sensitive policies and programmes. WPC in Pakistan’s Parliament has already established contacts with the women parliamentarians in the region. Currently, WPC is also in the process of facilitating provincial caucuses in Pakistan. WPC aims to offer its support towards sustainable foundations for all provincial caucuses. It looks forward to strong provincial caucuses so that they could take up gender concerns through the institutional structures of the parliament and ensuring pro-women legislations. WPC jointly hosted a Session with CWP in the 5th CPA Asia Regional Conference that took place in Islamabad from 29th July -2nd August 2019. The Caucus is also positioned to lobby and advocate, as necessary, for processes including the creation of policies and institutions that will support the country’s overall agenda of women empowerment, poverty eradication and social protection.