Female lawmakers contribute 39% of parliamentary business: FAFEN

Female members actively participating in both houses giving vital input to bringing social, economic change

ISLAMABAD: The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) -- a coalition of over 50 leading civil society organisations -- has noted increased presence of female legislators at important decision-making forums.

They are actively participating at important institutions like the National Assembly and Senate, giving vital input for bringing social and economic change.

This was the crux of a Fafen report. It states that female lawmakers contributed 39 per cent of parliamentary business in the National Assembly and Senate during 2017-18.

Comparison of the on-floor performances of women and men lawmakers in both houses of parliament shows that female members actively took part in the proceedings via regular attendance as well as, substantive contribution to parliamentary business.



The Fafen reports states that in the Senate, women sponsored 15 per cent of parliamentary business individually and three per cent jointly.

"The women lawmakers of the National Assembly initiated 31 out of 98 bills on their own and 22 bills in collaboration with their male colleagues," the report states.

Female lawmakers exclusively sponsored 36 of 72 resolutions in the National Assembly and collaborated with their male counterparts for moving 16 additional resolutions.

The women lawmakers in the Senate sponsored 13 of 145 bills on their own and five in partnership with male lawmakers, and moved 15 of 99 resolutions.

Women parliamentarians also kept a close vigil on the government by asking questions and raising Calling Attention Notices, they asked 1,595 questions and moved 64 Calling Attention Notices (CANs) in the National Assembly.

Whereas, in the Senate, the questions and CANs moved by them amounted to 241 and 26.

Moreover, In the National Assembly, a woman lawmaker introduced on average 25 agenda items, in comparison to six by her male colleague.