The Parliamentary Consultative Group on Women�s Issues (PCGWI) held its second meeting on August 02, 2004 at Islamabad to hold discussions on the agenda of the Group for the year. The meeting was facilitated and organised on behalf of PCGWI by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency � PILDAT, as a part of the Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Consortium � PLSC, supported by the USAID.

Since the group decided to abstain from forming a formal structure for the initial phase, PILDAT suggested that until such a time that the group has its office bearers, some members, by consent of the group, should be nominated at each meeting to chair it. The group nominated a presidium for the meeting comprising Senator Rukhsana Zuberi (PPPP), Ms. Mehnaz Rafi, MNA (PML) and Ms. Samia Raheel Qazi, MNA (MMAP).

The presidium suggested that each participant of the meeting should present their options of topics that should form the part of an Agenda of the PCGWI for the year. Participants presented the following issues for inclusion into the overall agenda:

1.   Water Supply to each community in Pakistan
2.   Female Literacy and Skills Development
3.   Job quotas for Women
4.   Equitable share of women legislators for participation in parliamentary debates

It was discussed that the Group can take upon the issue of water as the main issue for a resolution since it is essentially women who have to travel for long distances to get water for consumption. In addition, it should also raise an issue with the Parliament to allocate specific time to speak for women legislators. The meeting also discussed the need for a drive for wider membership to the Group by Parliamentarians for which lobbying will be done by the participants of the meeting.

It was decided that the next meeting of the group will table the resolution on water and allotment of special time for women legislators to speak during Parliamentary sessions. It was also proposed that the Group needs to move towards the formation of a steering committee which should have equal membership from all political parties represented in the Parliament. The next meeting would discuss in detail the formation of such a steering committee.