The three-day International WASH & MHM Expo-Conference 2025, organised by WaterAid Pakistan in collaboration with Lahore College for Women University, convened students, researchers, policymakers and practitioners around the theme Breaking Barriers, Building Solutions: Youth for Safe and Dignified WASH Services to promote gender-responsive and inclusive services across Pakistan.
Dr. Uzma Ashiq Khan, incharge of the Gender and Development Studies Department at LCWU, highlighted the central role of youth-led engagement and research in shaping equitable WASH policies and fostering community-led solutions that respond to local needs.
Muhammad Sufyan, Head of Punjab & KP at WaterAid Pakistan, underlined ongoing partnerships with educational institutions and civil society to advance dignity, safety and awareness around hygiene and menstrual health, noting that practical collaborations are crucial for sustainable progress in WASH MHM.
A keynote address by Prof. Dr. Maria Fannin from the University of Bristol, titled “Reflections on First Periods from the Feminist Archive South”, offered a global academic perspective on menstrual narratives, stigma and the politics of bodily autonomy, framing local challenges within broader scholarly debates.
The keynote was followed by a screening of a WaterAid documentary that showcased on-the-ground efforts to improve access to clean water and sanitation facilities across Pakistan, demonstrating practical models for schools, health centres and public spaces.
Muhammad Junaid, Country Director of WaterAid Pakistan, reiterated that youth voices are essential to driving change in WASH and menstrual health and stressed that empowering young people, particularly young women, helps break stigma and build sustainable, dignified services for all.
Chief guests Rushda Lodhi, Parliamentary Secretary for Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education, and Sadia Taimoor, Parliamentary Secretary for the Women Development Department, commended the initiative for bridging academia and policy and emphasised that menstrual health and WASH access are matters of public health, dignity and equality.
Raheema Panhwar, Gender Advisor at WaterAid, shared success stories from integrating MHM indicators into provincial systems and presented findings from the Punjab MHM Policy Gap Analysis, urging policymakers to institutionalise menstrual health education in school curricula and provincial frameworks.
In her remarks as Guest of Honour, Prof. Dr. Rubina Sohail, consultant gynaecologist and founder chair of the Mahfooz Maa Initiative, underlined the need for sustained awareness campaigns and medical advocacy around menstrual hygiene and reproductive health to ensure effective service delivery.
Prof. Dr. Uzma Qureshi, Vice Chancellor of LCWU, thanked participants and partners for contributing to a national dialogue that places inclusion and dignity at the heart of WASH initiatives; shields were presented to distinguished guests and speakers in recognition of their work promoting dignified services across the country.
The conference organisers said the event aims to translate youth-led research and cross-sector collaboration into policy action and practical interventions, reinforcing the importance of WASH MHM as a development priority and calling on stakeholders to scale up education, infrastructure and institutional commitments nationwide.
