In a first, ECP registers transgenders, differently-abled at doorstep

In a first, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has made it mandatory for mobile registration vans (MRVs) to ensure registration of transgender persons and people with disabilities at their doorstep and include them in political processes.

This was stated by Nighat Siddique, Director General Gender Affairs, ECP at Lok Virsa in Islamabad during the second day of the 15th Annual Rural Women Conference organised by Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA) on Friday.

She said that there were other facilities like preferential voting procedures and postal ballot facilities which can be used actively by old people, transgender persons and people with disabilities.

The rural women representing 120 districts of the country urged all political parties to allocate 50 per cent of tickets to women candidates in elections from national, provincial to the local levels.

Read more: JUI-F moves Shariat court against transgender act

PODA-Pakistan has been organising the annual rural women conference since 2008 in connection with International Rural Women Day which is observed on the 15th of October every year. The conference provides a platform for rural women and their leadership to bring their issues and solutions to the front vocally for change to reduce the gender gap in every sphere of life.

This is the consecutive 15th conference in which rural women from 120 districts of the country have gathered urging policymakers to optimise women’s role and contributions in the overall progress of the country.

Nighat applauded the role of civil society and government institutions which played a crucial role in reducing the gender gap in voter registration from 10 per cent to 8.6 per cent.

“To reduce the existing gap of seven hundred thousand between women and men voters, the ECP in collaboration with Nadra has decided to extend the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and voter registration facilities to 13 more districts in Balochistan.

With this, we are also focusing on enhancing registration in newly-merged districts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” said Nighat Siddique while addressing a vibrant audience of rural women of over 600 hundred representing 120 districts of the country.

Also read: Transgender law provisions defy Shariah: CII

The session was focused on “Developing Rural Women’s Linkages with Disability Working Group of the Election Commission”. For this session, the ECP partnered with PODA-Pakistan. The ECP has set up a stall to demonstrate the entire voting process at the conference venue.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan is one of the most unequal countries in the world for women, ranked at 153 out of 156 countries (WEF 2021).

Earlier, representing four provinces and regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, wide range of rural women leaders shared their testimonies to highlight problems and suggest indigenous practical solutions.

Rural women who shared their local issues with the ECP representative included, Sughra Bano from Sahiwal, Bismillah Irum, Khanewal, Veru Kolan, Hyderabad, Naheeda Abbasi, Chakwal, Raheema Sultana, Rawalpindi, Shazia Jamil Lasbela, Saima Batool, Vehari, Mehak Butt, Multan, Qaisra Ismail, Nosheen, NMDs, K-P, and Shahida Irshad from Quetta.

Later, during the second half of the day’s proceedings, Dr Robina stressed the need to set a minimum age of 18 years for marriage to save girls from a wide range of emotional, physical and psychological illnesses.

She narrated a dismal picture of the girls who get married at an early age in all regions of Pakistan. “At the moment, there are 35,000 girls with fistula which is an implication of early-age marriages among girls.

The girls affected by this condition during childbirth are forced to live with animals because they are not able to control their urine. This happens due to early marriages.”

Dr Robina advocated strongly saving girls from the social curse of child marriage especially in flood-affected areas.

Sharing the miseries of flood victims of people of Swat, Rukhsana Jahengir said: “My Swat is in pain due to the sufferings and loss caused by current floods in the area. People are in dire need of help of all kinds.”

Amna Jamali briefed about the situation of the flood-affected areas of Balochistan.

Muzhat Shirin, Chairperson Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, also shared information about the flood victims.