Lahore: The Punjab government thus week reaffirmed its commitment to expanding cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to further strengthen women protection services across the province through enhanced institutional capacity, technical assistance and survivor-centred support programmes.
The commitment was expressed by Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA) Chairperson Hina Pervaiz Butt during a meeting with JICA President Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, who led a high-level Japanese delegation to the Punjab Women Protection Authority.
Welcoming the delegation, Hina Pervaiz Butt said Pakistan and Japan share a longstanding partnership that has contributed significantly to strengthening women protection mechanisms in Punjab. She noted that JICA’s technical cooperation has enhanced the operational capacity of Women Protection Centres through specialised training, improved institutional coordination and the adoption of survivor-focused service delivery models.
She said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is working to establish a more responsive, accessible and effective protection system for women across the province. She also acknowledged Japan’s continued support in advancing initiatives aimed at safeguarding women’s rights and improving institutional responses to gender-based violence.
Dr. Akihiko Tanaka reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Pakistan, particularly Punjab, in strengthening mechanisms to combat gender-based violence. He said JICA would continue to provide technical cooperation, capacity-building initiatives and institutional support to help improve women protection services.
The JICA president also appreciated the progress made by the Punjab Women Protection Authority under its ongoing collaboration with the Japanese agency, describing the partnership as an important step towards building stronger institutions and expanding support services for women.
Punjab Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal Secretary Sara Omar said the collaboration with JICA has delivered encouraging results and underscored the need to further expand training programmes to strengthen institutional capacity and improve service delivery across the province.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continuing cooperation aimed at enhancing women protection systems, promoting institutional reforms and improving access to quality support services for survivors of gender-based violence in Punjab.
