LAHORE: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the political parties have become worried about the low turnout of women voters in NA-120 by-elections held on September 17, in which Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate Kulsoom Nawaz bagged the seat.
Despite efforts of the ECP, and the participation of women candidates in NA-120 by-polls, women voters could not be attracted to cast their votes as the turnout was recorded below than expectations.
According to reports, the total number of registered voters in the NA-120 constituency was 321,786 among which 179,505 were male while 142,130 were female. However, where overall turnout remained less than 40 per cent, just 45,916 women voters cast their votes putting their participation at just 32.30 per cent.
The women voters’ turnout in general elections 2013 was recorded 36.33 per cent in Punjab. At that time too, Lahore could not attract a large number of female voters as the turnout was recorded at just 37.27 percent.
Witnessing such a small ratio of female voters, ECP had constituted Voters Education Committees in nine districts of Punjab, in which female voters’ turnout was recorded low, aiming to increase awareness among women regarding the ‘importance of vote’.
ECP officials, at that time, vowed to attract the female voters in large numbers by using all its resources, and with the help of local body representatives.
The recent by-election of NA-120 was contested by 44 candidates, out of which five were females. These included PML-N’s Kulsoom Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Yasmin Rashid, Pakistan Peoples Party Workers (PPP-W) candidate Sajida Mir and two independent candidates Roohi Bano Khokhar and Sumera Ali.
Prior to the by-polls, it was expected that the participation of these women candidates will be helpful in attracting the female voters. Moreover, ECP had also launched its voter awareness campaign by constituting committees, which also could not be helpful in increasing the women voter turnout.
The runner-up candidate in by-poll Dr Yasmin Rashid showed her worry over the issue saying that this was really an alarming situation. While talking to Pakistan Today, she said that she was unable to highlight the actual reason of such a low turnout of women despite the fact that both the major candidates were females.
She said, referring to a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report that a score of women was barred by their families to cast their votes. “This might be because voters hesitate to come out to the polling station in by-elections,” she said, adding that this was no doubt a precarious situation and the PTI will work on it to find out the reasons.
PML-N leader Muhammad Mehdi said that the low women voter turnout was due to a dreaded atmosphere which had been created during the election days. He told Pakistan Today that due to the atmosphere of fear, many people preferred to keep their families from going to the polling stations.
“PML-N, during its campaign, focused on other voters of the constituency. It especially convinced the women voters because the party understood their role in country’s progress,” he said, adding that the party had decided to find out the reasons because this was a worrisome situation.
ECP’s spokesperson Huda Ali while talking to Pakistan Today said that the low female voter turnout, despite the efforts to motivate them to cast their vote, had made the situation alarming. She informed that the commission will soon conduct a study to find out the reasons of this issue.