Minister of State and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) MNA Marvi Memon has secured a seat on World Bank Group's (WBG) Advisory Council on Gender and Development. She visited Washington to attend Spring Meetings of World Bank Group (WBG) and the IMF.
The WBG's Advisory Council, established in 2011, is the main external consultative body helping the WBG promotes gender equality. The Council meets twice a year to review progress and advise WBG on the 2015 'gender strategy' as a roadmap to closing generation gaps in education and health, and enhancing women's voice and agency, especially by preventing and responding to gender-based violence. The Council members inter alia include finance and planning ministers from Canada, Netherland, Paraguay; Governors of Central Banks; CEOs of UN Women, Oxfam International, Global Fund for Women and global women ambassadors. The Minister also participated in a Conference on Tackling Employer-Supported Child Care at the Bank.
Memon said that it was a huge honour for Pakistan, BISP and herself to be nominated to such a key global forum. She added that it would be a humbling privilege to serve on such a forum to advance women empowerment agenda while reducing poverty globally.