Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Pakistan, an independent policy think tank, is organising an international conference in Islamabad, on Thursday, February 08, titled 'Empowering Women for Growth and Prosperity: From Evidence to Policy'.
As global rankings on gender disparities list Pakistan among the worst in the world, there is a greater need for female participation in economic activities, which will promote sustainable and inclusive economic development in the country.
To facilitate in bridging knowledge gaps to women's economic empowerment, the conference will bring together Pakistan's foremost researchers and policy-makers grappling with various aspects of women's economic empowerment. The conference will deliver high quality, evidence-based insights on key policy topics fundamental to achieving women's economic empowerment in Pakistan. One of the objectives of the conference is to establish a network of researchers, thought leaders and policy-makers on women empowerment for economic growth.
The experts who will participate at the conference include Joanna Reid, Head of Department for International Development (DFID), Pakistan; Karin Astrid, Assistant Professor, Erasmus University Rotterdam; Marvi Memon, Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)/MNA and others.
According to Hina Lotia, Director Program, LEAD Pakistan, 'The conference aims to examine how different aspects of economic growth, and the social processes, environmental degradation and infrastructure that typically accompany economic growth, affect women's economic empowerment in the Global South.
The conference will have sessions on putting women to work-Human capital, growth and labour markets; pathways to reducing women's vulnerability to climate shocks and stressors; and the economic costs of and solutions to violence against women. A media dialogue on empowering women for national development and the barriers and opportunities involved will also take place at the conference.
The conference will also help to identify concrete policy action plans in partnership with policymakers and design research agendas for bridging existing evidence gaps.