Islamabad: First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Pechuho, and Pakistani legislators joined forces on Monday, signing a significant joint declaration focusing on gender equality, breastfeeding, and nutrition. The agreement outlines a coordinated national strategy to improve child well-being, empower mothers, and tackle systemic obstacles hindering optimal breastfeeding practices.

Endorsed at a Parliamentarian Advocacy Forum held at the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS) in Islamabad, the declaration, a collaborative effort by UNICEF and the Pakistan Paediatric Association, emphasizes treating breastfeeding as a crucial national investment in health and progress.

The agreement calls for enforcing regulations controlling the promotion of breast milk substitutes, incorporating breastfeeding support within healthcare frameworks, bolstering workplace safeguards for mothers, and increasing community involvement to shift cultural perspectives. The parliamentarians committed to promoting gender equality and maternal health while ensuring continuous funding and accountability systems to protect the nation’s infants.

Notable attendees included UNICEF Representative Pernille Ironside, Deputy Representative Sharmeela Rassool, Secretary Women Parliamentary Caucus Shahida Rehmani, Dr. Anteneh Girma Chief Nutrition UNICEF, Fahmida Khan, Gender and Development Specialist UNICEF, Dr. Saba Shuja, ECD Manager UNICEF, and Dr. Mazhar Nutrition Specialist UNICEF.