The First Lady of Pakistan, Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, attended the Third Edition of the Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment, held at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
Organised by UN Women in partnership with the Supreme Council for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain, the global event honours outstanding efforts by governments, institutions, civil society, and individuals advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide. Pakistan’s participation reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
In her remarks, the First Lady praised the vision behind the award and commended the Kingdom of Bahrain for its leadership in promoting women’s empowerment. She reflected on Pakistan’s proud legacy of women’s leadership, recalling the contributions of Madar-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim world.
The First Lady said Pakistan continues to prioritise girls’ education, skills development, economic inclusion and digital empowerment. She reaffirmed Pakistan’s adherence to international commitments, including CEDAW, the Beijing Declaration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Gender equality, she added, is both a moral responsibility and a foundation for social cohesion, prosperity, and peace.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari met with H.E. Lulwa Al-Awadhi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Women of Bahrain; Mr Moez Doraid, Acting Regional Director for Arab States at UN Women and H.E. Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Secretary General of the General Women’s Union of the UAE. Discussions focused on enhancing regional collaboration, strengthening institutional partnerships and promoting women’s economic and political participation.
Representing the people and Government of Pakistan, the First Lady commended the Kingdom of Bahrain and UN Women for their shared commitment to advancing gender equality. She expressed Pakistan’s determination to continue working with international partners to ensure that every woman and girl can live with dignity, freedom and opportunity.
Concluding her remarks, she said: “The world changes only when women dare to change it. May we continue to build a future worthy of the courageous women who came before us, and the generations who will follow in their footsteps.”
Separately, Aseefa Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met with Chief Executive Officer Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Mohammad Saif Al-Sowaidi in Doha.
During the meeting, they discussed avenues for enhancing investment cooperation between Pakistan and Qatar, particularly in energy, infrastructure and technology sectors, the media wing of the President of Pakistan reported on Thursday.
The first lady appreciated QIA’s growing portfolio in Pakistan and welcomed its interest in expanding partnerships that could contribute to sustainable economic development and job creation.
Al-Sowaidi reaffirmed QIA’s commitment to exploring new opportunities for collaboration and strengthening economic ties between the two brotherly countries.