The enfranchisement of women

As another election draws ever nearer so does the question of the participation of women in the core activity of the democratic process. Votes for women was one of the defining movements of the early 20^th century, and the enfranchisement of women is still far from universal, with Pakistan being one of the countries that actively excludes women from the polling booth. Today it is revealed in a survey by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that 35,000 women in Gujrat district lack the CNICs that are essential if they are to register as a voter with the ECP. The survey was conducted in conjunction with Nadra and the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan as well as several NGOs. There is no reason to question the results of the survey.

It is to the credit of the agencies involved in arrangements for the 2018 election that they appear to be doing something that will get more women on the voting rolls, but it is a slow process and the absence of women from the rolls is a nationwide issue. The ECP now has a ‘gender wing’ which frequently conducts such surveys, but even if they identify and register women voters there is another hurdle before they get to the ballot box. Men.

There are parts of the country where men actively and determinedly prevent women from exercising their right to vote, and registered mainstream political parties have in the past and we believe in the future will collaborate to exclude women from the voting process. This was revealed at the last election and the justification was invariably that there were ‘cultural’ reasons why women were excluded. Leading political figures were open in their support for the denial of rights to women, and it is unlikely that their views will have moderated in the years since the country last had a general election. Pakistan stands as the banner-bearer for misogyny and gender discrimination, a state willing to uphold odious ‘values’ to preserve an oppressive patrimony. A state generations away from modernity — and it is a national disgrace.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2018.

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