By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) and UN Women Pakistan on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Prime Minister’s Office to advance the empowerment, leadership and meaningful participation of young women in Pakistan, with the partnership focusing on gender-responsive youth development, employability, entrepreneurship, civic participation and safe digital engagement.
The MoU was signed during a meeting chaired by PMYP Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and attended by Joint Secretary PMYP Dr Muhammad Ali Malik, UN Women Pakistan Country Representative Jamshed Kazi, Deputy Country Representative Fahmida Iqbal Khan and senior officials and representatives from both organisations.
Under the agreement, PMYP and UN Women will strengthen cooperation through technical collaboration, knowledge exchange, joint initiatives and the sharing of expertise and good practices in women’s leadership, youth empowerment and gender equality.
The partnership will promote gender responsive approaches to youth development and encourage the integration of gender perspectives into relevant youth-focused programmes, policies and initiatives, particularly in leadership, employability, entrepreneurship and civic participation. The two organisations will also work to create greater opportunities for young women through mentorship, networking, leadership development and professional exposure, contributing to Pakistan’s broader youth development and gender equality priorities.
Recognising the growing importance of digital spaces, the partnership will support safe, inclusive and responsible digital participation among young people, particularly young women and girls, through initiatives focused on digital literacy, responsible online engagement and digital citizenship.
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to creating an enabling environment in which young women can develop their potential, assume leadership roles and participate meaningfully in Pakistan’s economic, social, civic and public life.
