International Women’s Day 2027 · Proposed national initiative
International Women in Livestock & Food Systems Forum 2027
Recognise Her Work. Connect Her Future.
Featuring the Women’s Achievement Awards: a proposed annual forum bringing women’s experience, professional expertise and enterprise into a shared conversation about opportunity.
A national gathering with international knowledge exchange
Proposed host city: Faisalabad, Pakistan
Date, venue, contributors and nomination arrangements will be announced after confirmation.
Women’s work deserves recognition. Their experience deserves a voice.
A woman caring for livestock in a village, a veterinarian running a clinic, a researcher working in a laboratory and an entrepreneur building a business contribute in different ways to Pakistan’s economy. Their knowledge should help shape the training, services and opportunities intended to support them.
The Veterinary News & Views, with VetConnect Pakistan as digital and professional connectivity partner, is developing the International Women in Livestock & Food Systems Forum 2027 to bring these experiences together.
The proposed forum will mark International Women’s Day through women’s stories, professional exchange and the Women’s Achievement Awards. Rural producers, experienced practitioners, industry employees, academics, students and small-business owners will each have a place in the conversation. The initial planning target is 300–400 women, with participation arrangements to follow after confirmation.
Our foundation: the 2026 Faisalabad gathering
The initiative builds on the International Women’s Day programme organised in 2026 at National Incubation Center Faisalabad (NICF), University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The gathering connected participants from academia, government, industry, laboratories, media and community organisations.
Dr. Najma Afzal attended as chief guest. Women shared professional journeys and discussed leadership and development. Organisers estimate that approximately 89 people attended, around half women.
The 2026 event announcement and post-event report and photographs document this experience and provide the foundation for the proposed next edition.
View the 2026 Facebook photo albumThe album opens on Facebook, which may require sign-in.
From farm to fork, women contribute at every stage
Women work across production, scientific services, education and the businesses that connect farms with markets. The forum will use a farm-to-fork perspective to connect inputs and production with animal health, processing, food safety, distribution and consumption.
| Area | Women’s contributions |
|---|---|
| Livestock, dairy & poultry | Animal care, farm ownership, herd management, breeding, hatcheries, milk, egg and meat production, processing and business development. |
| Veterinary & animal health services | Companion-animal clinics, livestock and poultry practice, diagnostics, preventive healthcare, vaccination and pharmaceutical technical services. |
| Agriculture, horticulture & aquaculture | Crops, horticultural production, fish farming, farm management, advisory services and related enterprises. |
| Nutrition, science & education | Feed and fodder, animal and human nutrition, food science and safety, research, teaching, training and applied technology. |
| Trade, management & markets | Medicines, vaccines, feed and equipment supply, distribution, marketing, sales, finance and enterprise support. |
Companion-animal practice and animal welfare retain their own relevance alongside the food-system discussion. Welfare work will have a distinct proposed recognition area.
Women’s Achievement Awards: recognising contribution
The awards will encourage women whose work demonstrates achievement, initiative and benefit to others. The initial framework proposes four broad areas, allowing candidates to be considered for their contribution rather than creating a separate prize for every sector.
Enterprise & Production
Women building or managing enterprises across farms, processing, trading and sector services, including rural and small businesses.
Professional Services & Leadership
Women improving professional practice, service access, operational management or team leadership in the forum’s sectors.
Science, Education & Innovation
Women contributing through research, teaching, skills development, mentoring, animal and food sciences, or applied technology.
Animal Welfare
Women leading responsible rescue, rehabilitation, care, humane handling and sustained programmes that improve animals’ welfare.
Self-nominations and recommendations from institutions and communities are proposed. An independent review process will assess the woman’s own work and results. Assisted Urdu submissions will help women who cannot readily complete an English application.
Nominations are not yet open. Sponsorship will remain separate from award decisions.
Public initiatives, financial access and rural livelihoods
Recognition should be accompanied by practical understanding of the services and support available to women.
The Chief Minister Punjab’s Livestock Asset Transfer to Rural Women Scheme is an important example of livelihood support for eligible rural women in South Punjab. The official description focuses on transferring livestock assets following scrutiny and verification. PITB’s January 2026 update on Phase II documents a further implementation step.
The State Bank of Pakistan’s Banking on Equality Policy 2026 also provides a relevant reference for discussions about women’s financial inclusion, entrepreneurship support and financial literacy.
Government departments, banks, microfinance institutions and enterprise-support organisations will be invited to contribute practical guidance. Relevant resources include ZTBL’s women’s financial services, Bank Alfalah’s women’s enterprise programme and The Bank of Punjab’s published work on women’s financial inclusion. Banks such as HBL are also relevant to the proposed financial-literacy and enterprise conversation.
These are information references, not confirmed forum partners or product recommendations. Each institution determines current eligibility, terms and application availability. No loan approval is promised.
Connections with a useful next step
A rural producer may need technical guidance. A business owner may need finance information or a market introduction. A student may need career advice. A researcher may need a connection to industry.
Listen
Ask women which skills, information or connections would help their work.
Connect
Arrange relevant introductions where a professional or institution has agreed to contribute.
Follow up
Record completed introductions and review progress on agreed next steps.
National outreach is proposed through universities, professional bodies, public field offices, employers, chambers, rural groups and welfare organisations. Selected international contributors will be invited to share relevant experience online or in person.
Loan decisions, recruitment and commercial agreements remain with the relevant institutions and parties. Personal information and professional profiles will be shared with consent.
Connecting Pakistan’s experience with the IWD conversation
The internationalwomensday.com campaign for 2027, Progress Parity, encourages action towards gender equality. The forum will give this a sector focus through recognition, learning and access to useful connections.
Journalist Rida Sandhu, who contributed to the 2026 gathering, has a public profile in the IWD Speaker Directory. Her profile provides a further link between Pakistani professional experience and the international conversation on women’s leadership and inclusion.
We acknowledge the IWD website’s role in making women’s experience and equality-focused activity more visible through its events platform, resources and speaker directory.
Speaker-directory inclusion does not constitute endorsement. The forum is an independent initiative; references to IWD resources do not imply institutional partnership or confirmed participation.
The organiser’s role: document the work and keep the conversation going
The Veterinary News & Views, established in 1987, will lead organisation, editorial development, outreach and coverage. Its continuing Women’s Empowerment in Agri Livestock Pakistan initiative provides a basis for sharing women’s experiences and information relevant to their work.
VetConnect Pakistan will be the digital and professional connectivity partner, supporting agreed introductions and access to professional, learning and career information.
The VNV English website and Facebook page will carry updates and related coverage. Forum-specific digital arrangements will be announced when ready.
VNV Insight
A woman’s experience should reach beyond a single appearance on stage. Documenting her work, hearing her priorities and checking what follows an introduction will give this initiative value between annual gatherings.
The proposed annual programme includes consent-based profiles, interviews, knowledge conversations and follow-up on agreed connections. Participant feedback and a short outcomes report will help improve each edition.
Become a Partner in Recognising Women’s Work
Join the celebration of women’s achievement and help connect experience with opportunity. The forum welcomes organisations that can bring relevant expertise, widen participation or support meaningful professional exchange.
Participation & rural outreach
Help women from rural communities and smaller enterprises take part and share their experience.
Knowledge & mentoring
Contribute practitioners, educators, technical learning or professional guidance for women and students.
Enterprise & financial access
Offer financial-literacy guidance, business advice and relevant market or institutional introductions.
Event & communication support
Support delivery, documentation and coverage that gives women’s work wider visibility.
Industry, financial institutions, universities, professional bodies and development organisations can discuss a role suited to their expertise and resources. Financial and in-kind contributions will be agreed separately, with clear activities and acknowledgment.
Become a PartnerAward assessment will remain independent of partnership support. Confirmed partners will be announced after agreement.
An invitation to help shape the 2027 forum
Women professionals, rural producers, entrepreneurs, researchers, educators, students and welfare practitioners are invited to express interest in the proposed forum.
Government departments, universities, professional associations, financial institutions, chambers and industry are invited to nominate a focal contact and discuss a relevant contribution. Proposed public-sector outreach includes livestock and agriculture departments, women’s development and workplace-rights institutions, and federal or provincial offices responsible for relevant programmes. Participation will be announced after acceptance.
Faisalabad is the proposed host city. Date, venue, registration, nomination rules and confirmed contributors will follow after finalisation.
Express interest by emailExplore VetConnect PakistanExpression of interest is not registration, an award nomination or confirmation of partnership.