Empowerment: Call for active role of women in politics

Director said women were capable of making legislation but they were not the choice of political leaders.

Speakers at a seminar on Wednesday called for active role of women in the political process.

They were speaking at the launch of a report “Strengthening Women’s Political Participation and Leadership for Effective Democratic Governance in Pakistan” compiled by Search for Common Ground in collaboration with the Punjab university’s Institute of Cultural and Social Studies.

The report seeks to identify strengths and challenges for women parliamentarians.

While presenting findings of the study, Director of the institute Prof Zakariya Zakir said women were capable of making legislation but they were not the choice of political leaders.

She added that deep-rooted gender inequality was a factor in inhibiting women from equal political participation. She also cited recommendations such as assigning leadership roles to women within political parties, allocation of increased seats to women on general seats, electoral and legislative reforms to provide level playing field to women.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2014.