NCSW seminar demands women’s political participation in elections

Islamabad: Speakers at a seminar organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) in collaboration by Center of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR) on Friday demanded political participation for women in upcoming general elections as candidates and voters.

Besides NCSW Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar, other participants of the seminar were Amna Munawwar Awan President COPAIR , Nabila Malick UN Women , Amna Sayid UNDP , Barira from Gender Unit Ministry of Planning and Special Initiative , Tanzeela Mazhar , Nayyer Ali , Sumaira Khan, Dr Rakshanda , Dr Usman , Dr Saad Ali, Sitara Aiyaz, Dr Zahid , Dr Shuja and all major political parties. Azma Bukhari from PML-N, Farzana Yaqub from PPP, Asiya Ishaq from MQM Pakistan, Shagufta Malik from ANP, Samiyia Raheel Qazi from JI and experts on gender studies from academia, civil society and media personnel.

The participants shared their recommendations for rights of women mentioned in their manifestos and told the attendees that their parties had allocated seats for women in general and reserved seats. They said that women were facing severe issues in their political campaigns, besides security concerns. In order to achieve favourable response from their voters, they shared their experience of going door to door for demanding votes. Recommendations of the seminar agreed unanimously by all participants and announced by the NCSW chairperson were: – Political parties must prioritize women’s representation, the fight for a 5% quota is in progress, yet not achieved.

-We demand to integrate women into the general pool, not a separate category as reserved seats. -We demand security for all female candidates contesting elections and media shall provide equal airtime to the female candidates equally, reporters shall be assigned for these constituencies. – As women drive policymaking in offices and play key role in designing of bills, we demand women shall have their representation in assemblies instead of working in secretariats.

For the upcoming governments we are committed to make the child marriage bill as a law to be passed by national and provincial assemblies.

Women shall keep an eye on parties manifesto for their rights and support them for their own rights. – Cabinets without women and ministries without women are unacceptable.