Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri represented Pakistan at the Forum of Women Parliamentarians during the 151st Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva, speaking as Chairperson of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights. Her address drew attention to a vision of leadership rooted in service rather than privilege.
On the panel themed Transforming Leadership, Senator Samina Zehri urged legislators to rethink authority and purpose, stating that leadership should be a force for dignity and service. She called for a shift away from dominance and toward empathy when shaping policy for women and marginalized groups.
Speaking for the Senate and for Balochistan, she highlighted how women leaders from underrepresented areas are changing the national narrative by drafting reform bills, chairing committees and raising their voices for justice. “Whenever a woman in Balochistan chairs a committee, drafts a reform bill, or raises her voice for justice, she does not just remove a barrier — she makes history,” she said, underlining the local significance of global conversations.
Senator Samina Zehri outlined Pakistan’s legislative progress in areas that affect women directly, including reforms on mental health, stronger protections against gender-based violence and comprehensive digital safety measures. She emphasized parliamentary oversight and advocacy as essential tools for translating laws into meaningful change.
She argued that justice must be guided by humanity and compassion rather than retribution, and reaffirmed a commitment to bipartisan cooperation, public awareness and institutional reform. “We have turned opposition into strength by uniting for dignity and raising our collective voice,” she told the international audience, stressing consensus-building at home as a foundation for sustained reform.
Recalling her experience during the 2022 floods in Balochistan, Senator Samina Zehri said the crisis reinforced her belief that true leadership is service led by empathy. She also noted Pakistan’s continued engagement on the world stage, including participation in the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Addressing women leaders from across the globe, she called for purpose-driven leadership to replace privilege-driven power and urged collective action to ensure opportunity is determined by courage rather than gender. Her speech reinforced Pakistan’s evolving role in international human rights dialogues while highlighting the resilience and contributions of Balochistan.
