03/25/2024 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) — The political parties in Pakistan consistently fall short of meeting the mandated 5% representation of women in general seats, as outlined in Section 206 of the Pakistan Election Act 2017. The Election Commission of Pakistan has set this quota not just for compliance but to ensure the active participation and equal representation of women in the democratic process.
Without adequate representation in national and provincial assemblies, women face significant challenges in raising awareness about their grievances and issues. Women’s perspectives are crucial in policymaking, and their absence from decision-making bodies hinders the community’s overall progress.
The current quota system tends to favor women from privileged backgrounds, who may not be fully attuned to the challenges faced by the average woman in Pakistan. This lack of representation contributes to the prevalent issues of women’s safety in public spaces, including streets and public transport.
Women, especially those from a minority religion like Christianity, are harassed in their workplaces, and many women in Pakistan don’t work after completing their education because of the fear of being harassed. In certain areas of interior Sindh, parents do not send their girls to school after they complete primary school because of the fear of forced conversions.
The World Economic Forum publishes a global gender gap report every year, and in 2023, Pakistan ranked 142 out of 146 countries. In 2020, Pakistan ranked 151 out of 153 countries, showing that Pakistan is not moving forward in terms of the gender gap.
According to Human Rights Watch, 21% of girls in Pakistan are married before turning 18, and 3% of girls are married even before turning 15. Fifteen is an age when a young girl can’t even make basic decisions regarding her own health, and she is given the responsibility of raising children while she herself is a child.
As calls for gender equality grow louder on both national and international platforms, addressing these pressing issues necessitates a collective effort to ensure women’s equal representation in decision-making bodies. The underrepresentation of women in assemblies is not just a violation of the mandated quota; it is a setback for the overall progress and well-being of the entire nation.
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