25 March 2025 (Lahore): “A large number of female students are forced to discontinue education due to lack of water, washrooms and hygiene facilities in Middle and High schools in rural areas of Punjab that often results in early marriages of girls” said Ms. Sameena Nazir, director of PODA organization adding that “the government and civil society must take concrete steps to provide safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene facilities to girls in schools and women in offices and public buildings”. Addressing the consultation workshop, Mrs. Sajida Farooq Tarrar, a senior member of Pakistan Muslim League (N) informed the audience that Punjab government is preparing a comprehensive action plan to provide WASH facilities in girls’ schools in the province especially in rural areas.

The technical consultation workshop on the subject of “Advancing Gender-Responsive, Inclusive and Climate-Resilient Approaches in Legal and Policy Frameworks and Promoting Women’s Leadership in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) was organized by Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA) and funded by WaterAid Pakistan. A total of 83 participants attended the workshop on Tuesday 25 March 2025 at Flaetti’s Hotel in Lahore including legislators, lawyers, women with disabilities, officials from Punjab government’s department of Literacy, Education, Health, Environment, Water Management and senior professors from University of the Punjab, Lahore University for Women and University of Central Punjab and University of South Asia. Also present were representatives of UNICEF and Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and civil society members among others. Rural women from Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Multan, Pakpattan, rural Lahore and Rawalpindi also spoke at the workshop and gave practical examples of challenges and offered solution strategies.

Ms. Uzma Kardar, Member Provincial Assembly (MPA), Punjab congratulated PODA and WaterAid for forming the partnership to address the inclusion and leadership of women and vulnerable segments of society to find solutions for climate, water and hygiene challenges in Pakistan. She said with PODA’s presence and grassroots level work in rural Pakistan and WaterAid’s international learning from other countries facing similar challenges, we can identify best practices and use them in Pakistan. She emphasized the essential role of women in water management and household sanitation, calling for greater community engagement to address WASH-related challenges. She said as legislator, she is always working to ensure that our laws and policies are enforced to ensure provision of constitutional rights to all women and girls.

Ms. Shamila Aslam, former MPA from district Vehari said women of Pakistan are leading in many fields but still there is a need to ensure that the government departments and private sector appoint women in executive positions and boards and as ministers for gender integration. She said all great leaders took special measures to highlight that consultation and leadership of women is the key to success such as Quaid-e Azam’s and Fatima Jinnah working together, Zulfikar Bhutto teaching leadership to his daughter Benazir Bhutto and the most recent shinning example of first Chief Minister of Punjab Mohtarma Maryam Nawaz Sharif supported by PML (N) leadership. She said such role models encourage girls to step ahead.

She added that women are custodians of water in the house and agriculture in our villages so their opinions must be sought while making water and climate policies and implementation mechanisms and policy makers and academia should consult rural women for policy making.

Ms. Raheema Panhwar, Gender Advisor of WaterAid Pakistan, emphasized the need to prioritize gender equality and social inclusion in WASH financing. She highlighted that in order to create sustainable change, WASH budgets must reflect the needs of marginalized communities, particularly women and those living in poverty, and strengthen accountability to ensure investments reach those most in need.” She said that by prioritizing women’s leadership and integrating gender equality into WASH policies, meaningful and inclusive progress can be made. The consultation provided an important platform to discuss these priorities, with Ms. Panhwar reinforcing WaterAid’s commitment to elevating the role of women and girls as leaders in decision-making, shaping the future of WASH policies and systems in Pakistan. She also called for greater collaboration with key stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, and service providers, to implement gender-responsive and climate-resilient WASH strategies that benefit the most vulnerable. By ensuring gender equality is embedded in WASH frameworks, the consultation aimed to pave the way for more equitable, sustainable solutions across the sector.

Mr. Rashid Rao Hafiz, Deputy Director of the Family Planning Association, spoke on the importance of women’s empowerment and education to effectively implement WASH policies, ensuring that marginalized communities have access to sustainable and equitable water, sanitation, and hygiene services. A Policy expert Ms. Samia Khaliq presented an in-depth analysis of existing WASH and climate change policies in Punjab, identifying critical gaps and advocating for stronger enforcement mechanisms. She emphasized the need for more robust policy frameworks that not only address the immediate challenges in water, sanitation, and hygiene but also integrate climate resilience and gender equality. She highlighted the importance of ensuring that these policies are backed by clear enforcement measures, so that they can deliver tangible improvements for vulnerable communities, particularly women and marginalized groups. Dr, Mohammad Younis Zahid, former Director Environment protection Departmnet Dr. Muhammad Younis Zahid, an environmentalist, highlighted the critical gaps in climate change legislation during the consultation, noting that while environmental laws exist, no provinces have dedicated climate change legislation. He emphasized the need for comprehensive parent legislation at the sub-national level, alongside climate change authorities and tribunals, to enforce policies effectively. Dr. Zahid also pointed out that Punjab’s “Climate Resilient Punjab and Action Plan 2024” lacks enforcement mechanisms, regulatory authority, and standards for measuring greenhouse gases, underscoring the need for stronger frameworks and infrastructure.

The event concluded with a strong commitment by all participants to continue collaboration and advocacy to ensure that gender inclusion remains a priority in climate and WASH policies Pakistan. The report and recommendations of the workshop will be shared with the government. For more information contact director@poda.org.pk or call 0332 240 6487.