Chairperson Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Nafisa Shah, Secretary Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), Dr. Shahida Rehmani, and Treasurer WPC, Shahida Begum condoles with H.E. Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Pakistan, on the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 16th Jun, 2026) Chairperson Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Nafisa Shah, Secretary Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), Dr. Shahida Rehmani, and Treasurer WPC, Shahida Begum condoles with H.E. Mr. Rongvudhi Virabutr, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Pakistan, on the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati.
They conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the people and Royal Family of Thailand and expressed solidarity with the people of Thailand during this difficult moment in a meeting held at the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC) Office here on Tuesday.
The participants also discuss avenues for enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and Thailand in the areas of women’s empowerment, political participation, economic inclusion, and peace building.
Secretary WPC, Dr. Shahida Rehmani highlighted the longstanding friendly relations between Pakistan and Thailand and emphasized the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties. She underscored the role of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus as a bipartisan platform advancing women’s rights, gender equality, and inclusive governance.
Dr. Rehmani noted that Pakistan and Thailand could benefit from greater cooperation and exchange of experiences in areas such as women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, gender-responsive budgeting, leadership development, and parliamentary engagement on gender equality.
Dr. Nafisa Shah, Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Mainstreaming, appreciated Thailand’s support for vocational and beauty skills training programmes and encouraged the expansion of such initiatives to the provincial level across Pakistan. She also welcomed Thailand’s work in the agriculture sector and expressed support for expanding collaboration in women’s agricultural empowerment.
She emphasized the importance of parliamentary exchanges, stating that Pakistan’s women parliamentarians would welcome opportunities to engage with their Thai counterparts through mutual visits and study exchanges.
She acknowledged the valuable contribution of United Nations (UN) Women in supporting women’s empowerment initiatives and stressed the need to further strengthen collaboration in this regard.
Recalling her role in organizing Pakistan’s first conference on Women, Peace and Security in 2010, Dr.
Nafisa Shah expressed interest in working closely with Thailand on WPS-related initiatives. She also highlighted the significance of gender-responsive budgeting, noting that it remained a priority area for the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus and offering closer collaboration with Thailand on advancing gender-sensitive fiscal policies.
Shahida Begum, Treasurer WPC, appreciated Thailand’s efforts in promoting women’s empowerment. She proposed strengthening institutional linkages and exchanges between Pakistani and Thai women parliamentarians to foster mutual learning and cooperation.
Ambassador Virabutr reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to women’s empowerment and highlighted Thailand’s collaboration with United Nations (UN) Women and the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus on initiatives aimed at enhancing women’s economic participation.
He shared updates on ongoing projects supported by Thailand, including a women’s economic empowerment initiative in Sialkot being implemented with UN Women. He also highlighted programs focused on women’s entrepreneurship, vocational and beauty skills training, and economic opportunities within the broader care and marriage economy.
The Ambassador further outlined Thailand’s support for women in agriculture, noting that the first phase of a training programme had already commenced with 30 women participants. He informed the meeting that advanced training activities would continue during July and August to strengthen women’s participation and leadership in the agricultural sector.
On the issue of Women, Peace and Security (WPS), Ambassador Virabutr shared that Thailand was in the process of launching its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and expressed interest in collaborating with Pakistan in this important area. Participants agreed that both countries could benefit from closer cooperation and exchange of experiences related to peace building, conflict prevention, and women’s leadership in security and governance.
The Ambassador also stressed the importance of accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that only a few years left until the 2030 deadline. He emphasized that women’s economic empowerment remained a critical factor in achieving sustainable and inclusive development.
