ISLAMABAD: The first meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Ombudsman Association (OICOA) was held on Monday, December 22, 2025, at the head office of the Federal Ombudsperson Secretariat for Protection against Harassment (FOSPAH) in Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by members of the Sub-Committee from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo, and Türkiye. Representatives from the Women Development Organization (WDO) of the OIC, Provincial Ombudsmen of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, and the OICOA Secretariat also participated. The OICOA Secretariat was represented by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Almas Ali Jovindah.
Welcoming the participants, Federal Ombudsperson Ms. Fauzia Viqar emphasized that collective wisdom forms the foundation of a shared journey toward strengthening women’s rights across OIC member states. She said the Sub-Committee would serve as a platform for bringing together diverse institutional experiences to shape a unified vision. Ms. Viqar expressed hope that the Sub-Committee’s work would resonate across OICOA member states and that women throughout the OIC would look to Ombudsperson institutions for protection, courage, and fairness.
During the meeting, country presentations highlighted constitutional guarantees, legislative measures, policy frameworks, and implementation mechanisms adopted to advance women’s rights. These included the repeal of restrictions on women’s employment in 674 occupations across various sectors in Azerbaijan; positive discrimination and reserved parliamentary seats for women in Benin and Pakistan; subsidized election fees for women candidates in Togo to encourage political participation; and advocacy and input into national laws concerning reproductive health, child marriage, alimony, and access to economic opportunities in Azerbaijan and Benin.
Members of the Sub-Committee also pointed out ongoing challenges in their respective countries, particularly socio-cultural barriers that contribute to low reporting of violations and underrepresentation of women in decision-making positions.
The meeting concluded with discussions on a future plan of action for the Sub-Committee and the alignment of its objectives with the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women, as well as the goals of the WDO. It was agreed that the Sub-Committee would focus on capacity building for member states and the wider OICOA membership. The Sub-Committee also offered to extend its initiatives to the broader OIC membership through the Women Development Organization of the OIC.
