Mainstreaming gender agenda: Mission to monitor election to be set up

Director GCI stresses that all women’s poling stations should be staffed by women and they should count the votes.

ISLAMABAD:

Gender Election Monitoring Mission will be established to ensure that the gender agenda is addressed by the newly-elected government and women’s political participation is promoted.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between Aurat Foundation and Gender Concerns International (GCI) on Thursday will launch the mission to promote inclusive governance prior to, during and after the 2013 elections with an aim to monitor them from a gender perspective.

A team of 15 international experts will train over 50 observers to monitor the 2013 elections from a gender perspective, strengthening women’s organisations and ensuring interactions with female parliamentarians.

Sabra Bano, director GCI, a development organisation based in The Netherlands, expressed dissatisfaction over the administration and management of during elections, especially at women’s polling stations. She said most women’ polling station lack security, proper arrangements for presiding officers, voters and transportation for carrying ballot boxes after voting.

Bano said women voters were at times pressurised by male family members to vote for a specific political party or were deprived of their right to vote. She stressed that all women’s poling stations should be staffed by women and they should count the votes.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2013.