ISLAMABAD: The Ninth Ministerial Conference on Women of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday adopted the Islamabad Declaration, reaffirming member states’ commitment to advancing the socio-economic and political empowerment of women and girls while launching a new initiative to promote women’s digital inclusion across the Muslim world.
According to the Islamabad Declaration, available on the official OIC website, participating ministers and heads of delegation pledged to strengthen policies and institutional mechanisms to ensure women’s meaningful participation in political, economic and public life across OIC member states.
The declaration encouraged member states to remove barriers to women’s education and employment, expand access to quality education, vocational training and leadership development, and strengthen women’s economic empowerment through improved access to employment, finance, entrepreneurship support and social protection systems.
It also called for promoting inclusive financial systems, including Islamic finance, microfinance and digital financial services, while urging greater support for women-led small and medium-sized enterprises through improved access to capital, innovation and trade opportunities.
The declaration emphasised the importance of women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. It urged member states to bridge the digital gender divide by expanding affordable digital infrastructure, connectivity, access to devices and digital literacy programmes, particularly in rural areas.
The conference also launched the Islamabad Initiative on Women’s Digital Inclusion, a voluntary OIC platform aimed at promoting digital literacy, digital entrepreneurship, STEM education, artificial intelligence skills, cybersecurity awareness and equitable access to digital technologies for women and girls across OIC member states. It invited interested member states, OIC institutions and development partners to support the initiative through training programmes, scholarships, mentorship and the exchange of expertise and best practices.
The declaration further urged member states to strengthen measures against all forms of violence against women and girls, including cyber harassment, online abuse, exploitation and technology-facilitated threats, while calling for enhanced cooperation to combat Islamophobia, xenophobia, discrimination and hate speech targeting Muslim women and girls.
It reaffirmed solidarity with the women and girls of Palestine and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling on the international community to provide legal, humanitarian, economic, educational and psychosocial support to alleviate their suffering.
The declaration concluded by reaffirming that empowering women and girls through education, skills development, leadership and economic participation is essential for the progress, resilience and prosperity of OIC societies. It also expressed appreciation to the Government of Pakistan for hosting the conference and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his patronage.
The conference also adopted an omnibus resolution. OIC Assistant Secretary-General Ambassador Dr Tarig Ali Bakheet while delivering concluding remarks said the deliberations reflected the collective determination of OIC member states to advance the status of women as a key pillar of sustainable development and the prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.
He welcomed the adoption of the omnibus resolution, describing it as an important milestone that reflected the shared vision of member states and provided a comprehensive roadmap for strengthening cooperation, promoting women’s empowerment, and addressing the evolving challenges facing women across the Islamic world.
“I commend the spirit of consensus and cooperation that has guided the adoption of this important resolution,” he said. Dr Bakheet said the real measure of success would not lie in the resolutions adopted but in the collective commitment to implement them effectively and achieve measurable outcomes.
He urged member states, OIC institutions, international partners and other relevant stakeholders to work closely to ensure the effective implementation of the conference’s resolutions and recommendations.
He said sustained cooperation, coordinated action and the sharing of successful experiences among member states would help transform shared commitments into meaningful improvements in the lives of women and girls.
Congratulating Pakistan on assuming the chairmanship of the Ministerial Conference on Women, Dr Bakheet expressed confidence that the country would successfully guide the implementation of the conference’s decisions.
He reaffirmed the OIC General Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with Pakistan, the OIC Women Development Organisation, relevant OIC institutions and member states to maintain the momentum generated by the conference and translate it into concrete achievements.
Dr Bakheet prayed for greater unity among OIC member states and called for continued joint efforts to promote the dignity, empowerment, and well-being of women across the Muslim world.
Meanwhile, Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani urged OIC member states to move beyond declarations and translate their commitments into concrete measures for women’s economic empowerment, describing it as both an Islamic obligation and a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Addressing the opening session as chief guest, Gilani reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promoting women’s empowerment through education, entrepreneurship, digital inclusion, financial access and employment opportunities.
Highlighting Pakistan’s progress, he said the Benazir Income Support Programme and Waseela-e-Taleem initiative had transformed the lives of millions of women by strengthening their economic security and improving girls’ access to education. He also referred to initiatives supporting women-led enterprises, access to finance, digital skills and e-commerce, enabling women to contribute more effectively to national economic development.
Gilani said women’s meaningful participation in public life and decision-making was essential, noting that Pakistani women were serving with distinction as parliamentarians, judges, diplomats, civil servants, entrepreneurs, journalists and academics.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar, addressing the closing session, said the conference reflected the collective commitment of OIC member states to advancing the rights and empowerment of women. He said around 125 distinguished delegates from OIC member states, observer states and institutions participated in the conference, and their active engagement enriched the discussions and demonstrated a shared resolve to promote women’s empowerment across the Muslim world.
Separately addressing a press conference, Tarar announced that Pakistan had assumed the chairmanship of the OIC Ministerial Conference on Women for the next two years, reflecting the confidence of member states in the country. He thanked the OIC General Secretariat, member states and partner countries for their active participation, which helped make the two-day conference a success. He said the conference adopted the outcomes of its deliberations, with member states reaffirming their commitment to promoting the economic, political, and social empowerment of women.
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja told the OIC conference that Pakistan had recorded the world’s fastest reduction in the gender digital divide in mobile internet usage. According to the GSMA, Pakistan’s gender digital divide declined from 35 percent to just 8 percent in the 2026 report, making Pakistan the fastest country in the world to close the gap. She said women’s mobile internet adoption increased from 33 percent to 45 percent over the past two years.
Shaza said the government, with the support of the private sector, also distributed 10 million free SIM cards to women across the country to help them become active participants in the digital economy. She emphasised that women should not remain merely recipients of technology but must also become its creators and decision-makers, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes central to every sector. She called for measurable indicators under the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women to monitor progress in digital ownership, technology usage, income generation, enterprise growth and leadership.
Delegates from across the Muslim world praised Pakistan’s warm hospitality and efficient organisation of the conference. Syrian Minister for Social Affairs and Labour Hind Kabawat described her visit as both memorable and symbolic, saying Pakistan made delegates feel at home from the very first moment. Representative of the Maldives delegation, Mariyam Raya Ahmed, commended Pakistan for its excellent arrangements and appreciated its role in bringing together OIC member states. Secretary-General of Saudi Arabia’s Family Affairs Council, Dr Maimouna Al Khalil, said the conference reflected the OIC’s firm commitment to placing women’s issues at the highest policy level.
