Faceless women

Lack of CNICS are denial of women's fundamental rights, their rightful say in the electorate

It is enigmatic to learn that a sizeable population is without national identity cards. And, moreover, to get details that most of them are from the feminist gender. The revelation from a legislator that roughly 10 million women do not possess a CNIC is simply unacceptable to digest. It means that the fairer sex mostly in our rural areas are a secondary citizen, and even their menfolk who otherwise are active participants when it comes to politics do not care for their wards to be duly registered in national databases. This is a denial of their fundamental rights and, likewise, their rightful say in the electorate and other avenues of civic life. Even if half of the stated estimate of women are in shadows, and without due acknowledgment of their existence, it comes as a blot for national authorities as well as the political quarters, who have failed to discharge their duties.

Being disenfranchised in having a political say of these unregistered women is just one aspect of national life. Whereas, the very fact that these women are unable to get proper recognition, especially at times of matrimony and maternity, apart from acquiring education, is disgusting. Are we living in the Stone Age or in an era when free flow of logical information is an anathema? This denial of right to the women is nothing but the graduation of a feudalistic and men-chauvinistic mindset, as treating women on a par in some backward areas is considered as a taboo. This sense of neglect can only be overcome when men in the family primarily come forward by abandoning conservatism of showing up their women on national strata, and enabling them their due rights as an equal citizen of the country.

PILDAT’s observation is worth considering as it says that there are potentially around 3.5 million eligible women above the age of 18 who are not registered as voters. This means hundreds and thousands of women are voiceless when it comes to electioneering, and politics and socializing for them is a no-go area. This disclosure must be strongly reacted to and women across the country in a faceless mode must be recognised and energized in toto.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2023.

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