The U.S.-Pakistan Symposium on Women in the Economy is an initiative of the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council and the Bush School of Government and Public Service that took place on November 13-14, 2019 at Texas A&M University. Opening speakers included President of Texas A&M University and Council Co-Chair Michael Young, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Pakistan Affairs at the U.S. Department of State Ervin Massinga, and Deputy Chief of Mission, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. Ubaid Nizamani.
The symposium served as a platform through which diverse stakeholders from the United States and Pakistan could exchange views and proposals for advancing women in the economy in Pakistan on issues ranging from financial inclusion, women in the media and the healthcare sector, and the empowerment of adolescent girls. Keynote speaker of the Symposium, Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Khan for social protection and poverty alleviation, joined the proceedings by video conference, highlighting the Government of Pakistan’s Ehsaas (Empathy) initiative that aims to streamline and modernize the delivery of social welfare and poverty alleviation assistance in Pakistan.
The symposium and opening dinner drew 90 leaders in civil society, the private sector and Texas A&M faculty, including representatives from the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, WEConnect International, the Malala Fund, STEMconnector, Invest2Innovate, Excelerate Energy, the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council, Hum Network Ltd., the Johns Hopkins Women’s Health Center, the American Pakistan Business Development Forum, Developments in Literacy, Houston Community College, Texas A&M Community Foundation, and S&P Global. Representatives from the Pakistan Desk and the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues at the State Department also attended.
The symposium advances a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Pakistan to promote women’s economic inclusion and address barriers to women in the economy in Pakistan.
A full agenda is enclosed [98 KB].