Post-election report launch: Women’s participation stressed

33% seats for women demanded in upcoming LG polls.

ISLAMABAD:

Despite bleak security conditions that prevailed during the recent general elections, women voters surprisingly came out in almost the same numbers as their male counterparts.

With the hope of witnessing the same turnout at the local level, the National Commission for the Status of Women (NCSW), Gender Concerns International and women rights activists demanded an amendment to ensure 33 per cent seats are reserved for women in the upcoming local government elections.

Addressing a small gathering of participants at a consultative meeting, “Gender Election Monitoring: Post-Elections” on Thursday, NCSW Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz said lessons learnt from the general elections must be taken into consideration for the upcoming local government electoral process.

Women represented 43.6 per cent of registered voters in the 2013 general elections, amounting to 37.6 million, compared to 48.6 million male voters.

Mumtaz demanded that all provinces ensure 33 per cent seats for women.  “LG elections are a setback for women as the number of seats has been reduced in each province,” she said.

Gender Concerns International, a international women’s development organisation, monitored the 2013 elections from a gender perspective. In collaboration with the Aurat Foundation, an NGO, the final report launched today consists of recommendations and suggestions for the political leadership as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The report has been compiled with recommendations from 120 observers who observed 555 polling stations across Pakistan.

“Confidentiality and secrecy were missing due to lack of confidence as women would step in polling booths with friends,” said Myra Imran, an election observer. “I also witnessed some women tearing their vote before they even casted it. Lack of voter education was evident,” she added.

She said ECP must consider developing an electronic system for better data management. Moreover, if female voter turnout in any constituency is less than 10 per cent then polling must be considered void, she added.

Farkhanda Aurangzeb of the Aurat Foundation said party manifestos and the policy of ticket distribution must be made more gender balanced.

Where the ECP is an all boys club, women must be allotted seats in ECP at decision-making levels, she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2013.