Female politicians are moving towards elections with the hope of changing their future through the ballot box, as the country gears up for general elections.
Figures released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) showed a 129.8% increase in the number of women candidates contesting on general seats since 2008 elections, reported a private news channel. Reserve seats for women have always been guaranteed by the constitution, due to which the number of quota seats have increased over the years due to the unwavering efforts of activists. The figures showed women representation on reserved seats to be standing at 22.5%, similar to the United Kingdom, and better than the US figure of 17.8%. Interestingly, the latest draft electoral rolls included 47.77 million men and only 36.59 million women. This year, two women from the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) made history by announcing their participation in the forthcoming general elections.
A noteworthy female candidate was Badam Zari, a 40-year-old housewife with no children. In early April, she announced on a private news channel that she would compete as an independent candidate. Previously, most women in parliament entered through reserved quota seats and their presence had greatly impacted the legislation process therein. It is pertinent to mention here that during the previous government’s tenure, a women’s parliamentary council was formed and a draft of pro-women laws was also introduced that criminalised forced marriage, acid crimes and harassment at workplace.