CBS and PWPA Launch Policy Traineeship to Advance Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment in Pakistan
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The Centre for Business and Society (CBS) at LUMS, in partnership with the Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA), launched an immersive four-week Policy Traineeship Programme from August to September 2025 as part of their shared commitment to advancing women’s social and economic empowerment in Pakistan.
This traineeship provided mentorship, exposure, and tangible policy engagement opportunities for LUMS students interested in public service, advocacy, and gender equity. It was designed as a bridge between academic knowledge and policy practice, ensuring that student learning translated into meaningful institutional outputs.
The closing ceremony, held on September 26, 2025, at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS, marked the culmination of four weeks of collaborative research, the preparation of survivor-centric mechanisms, and hands-on policy engagement, highlighting the power of academia–policy partnerships in addressing pressing societal challenges.
During the event, Dr. Adeel Zaffar, Dean, Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS, and Ms. Kalsoom Saqib, Director General, Punjab Women Protection Authority (PWPA), signed an MoU, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership between CBS and PWPA to further evidence-based policy, digital innovation, and capacity-building in the protection and empowerment of women.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Misbah Tanveer, Director, CBS and Ms. Saqib emphasised how this collaboration represents a model of research for public service, bridging the gap between academic insight and policy implementation.
The trainees, selected from the Suleman Dawood School of Business and the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law at LUMS, presented their deliverables during the Closing Ceremony in a group presentation. The programme’s output included: (i) preparation of a policy report, (ii) development of a digital case management System, (iii) development of a survivor-centric website, and (iv) production of podcasts featuring survivors.
The programme and its closing ceremony celebrated not only the dedication of the trainees but also the shared vision of CBS and PWPA: building stronger, survivor-centered institutions in Punjab.
With the achievements of this inaugural cohort, the CBS and PWPA traineeship sets the foundation for scaling up future initiatives. By embedding young researchers within public institutions, the programme demonstrates how cross-sector partnerships can generate tangible, sustainable reforms in governance and social protection.
