• Gender Democracy, Gender Equity and Social Inclusiveness - Enabling women to (self-) determine their lives, exercise their rights and giving them an equal share in decision-making in all walks of life to build a tolerant and developed nation with men and women being partners;
  
• Gender Democracy and Social Justice in a transforming world - Enabling women to participate in public life has come under pressure from the rising forces of globalisation and fundamentalisms; the fabric and organization of political, social and economic life is rapidly and profoundly changing with different impacts on women's empowerment.

The conference sessions will therefore focus on the following topics:

• Political participation and women's empowerment in Pakistan - with possible case studies from other South Asian countries
  
• Micro credit schemes as a tool for women's economic empowerment in Pakistan - with case studies from Pakistani NGOs and, possibly, Bangladesh
  
• Education as a precondition for women's empowerment, e.g. HEC
  
• Legal rights, discriminatory practices and women's empowerment - The Women Protection Bill
  

Day 1

10.00-12.00 ---- Inaugural Session

• Welcoming Address (10 min.)
• Keynote Speeches (30min.)
• Q&A;Session

12.00-14.00 ---- Networking and Lunch

14.00-17.00 ---- Political Empowerment of Women

• max. of four presentations of 15 ­ 20min. each
• Q&A;Session

Day 2

9.30-12.00 ---- Economic Empowerment of Women .

• max. of four presentations of 15­20min. each
• Q&A;Session

12.00-14.00 ---- Networking and Lunch

14.00-16.30 ---- Parallel Sessions

• Education
• Legal Issues
• max. of four. presentations of 15-20min. each
• Q&A;Session
• max. of four presentations of 15-20min. each
• Q&A;Session.

17.00 ---- Concluding Sessions

• Concluding Remarks
• Thanks on behalf of the Institute and the University

Speakers are requested to send their abstract with a short CV until 28th of February 2007. Discussion papers should have a length of 10 to 15 pages (with bibliographical references) and should be submitted by electronic copy one week prior to the conference date (l5th of April 2007). Discussion papers will be posted at the Institute's conference website and the conference proceedings will be later on published as a book. The conference organizers will provide meals and accommodation on campus for invited speakers; travel costs will not be covered.