WaterAid Pakistan convened a high-level consultation in Lahore focused on strengthening GEDSI in WASH governance to promote inclusive, equitable and climate-resilient access to water, sanitation and hygiene across Punjab and beyond.
The dialogue brought together parliamentarians, policymakers and civil society leaders. Prominent participants included Zakia Shahnawaz, Rushda Lodhi, Syeda Samreen Taj, Shagufta Faisal, Dr. Ayesha Javed, Fatima Begum, Mumtaz Begum, Shahbaz Ali Khokhar, Saqib Khan Chadhar, Shazia Hayat, Ambreen Ismail, Shabana Nadeem, Sumbal Mali Hussain and Samina Ashraf (Advocate, High Court). WaterAid Pakistan was represented by Country Director Mian Muhammad Junaid, Muhammad Sufyan, Head of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nighat Immad, Head of Programme Strategy and Policy, and other senior WaterAid officials.
Aligned with WaterAid’s Country Programme Strategy 2023–2028, the consultation placed GEDSI at the heart of WASH governance and reaffirmed safe WASH as both a human right and a public health priority. Participants discussed pathways to strengthen legislative leadership and policy approaches that advance inclusive services and climate resilience, emphasising the need for sustained collaboration between parliamentarians, government bodies and civil society to deliver tangible improvements in communities across the province.
