Only two victories for women in K-P

In the February 8 electoral contest across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the participation of women remained notably low, with only two out of 97 female candidates managing to secure victory.

Both successful candidates belonged to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, with Shandana Gulzar winning comfortably in NA-30 Peshawar and Surya Bibi securing her provincial assembly seat in PK-1 Chitral.

Despite the total of 45 National Assembly constituencies spread across K-P’s 37 districts, there was a glaring absence of female candidates in 14 districts and 23 NA constituencies during the February 8 general elections.

Similarly, 15 districts and 60 constituencies in the K-P Assembly saw no female contenders out of a total of 115 general seats, a disheartening statistic considering the total number of general seats up for grabs.

Among the 27 women who contested for the 45 National Assembly constituencies, 12 chose to run independently, indicating a diverse spectrum of political participation.

While various political parties, including the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), fielded female candidates, the overall participation remained limited, reflecting systemic barriers that hinder women’s engagement in politics.

Notably, several districts, including Hangu, Swat, Bajaur, and Mohmand, witnessed a complete absence of female candidates vying for National Assembly seats, exacerbating concerns about representation and inclusivity.

Similarly, in the K-P Assembly elections, districts such as Chitral Lower, Swat, and Bajaur lacked female representation on the ballot.

Despite these challenges, notable figures like Sitara Ayaz from the ANP and independent candidate Nazia Hassan displayed courage by contesting in traditionally male-dominated constituencies.

In select instances, constituencies like NA-1 Chitral and NA-15 Mansehra/Torghar witnessed a modest number of female candidates vying for representation, albeit independently, signaling a nascent but promising shift towards gender-inclusive politics.

There was one candidate each from the ANP, the PTI, the PTI-P, the QWP, the TLP, and the JI; three candidates of the PML-N (one woman contesting at two constituencies); two of the Markazi Muslim League (MML) and four candidates contesting elections on the ticket of the PPP.

The 14 districts where no female candidate was contesting for the National Assembly include Hangu, Orakzai, Swat, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Bajaur, Buner, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Mohmand, Khyber, Hangu, Kurram, and Tank.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th 2024.