Peshawar
The Consultation on Rural Women’s Participation in Upcoming Local Government Elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Challenges and Opportunities, was organized by PODA at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women Peshawar office, participated by 35 women from 17 districts of KP for sharing the opportunities and challenges for women’s political participation in upcoming local government elections in KPK.
Dr. Riffat Sardar, Chairperson KP Commission on the Status of Women (KPCSW) shared that the commission is working closely with the Gender wing of the Election Commission to mobilize women to cast their vote in the Local Government Elections.
Dr. Riffat said I request every woman in the district to come out and cast their vote, it is a basic foundation of a democratic society, and women candidates need active support from the women by the women for strengthening Women’s Political Rights in Local Government Elections (LGE) 2021 in KPK.
She said KPCSW will play a pro-active role in the coming elections to facilitate women voters, oversight arrangements by the Election Commission Pakistan. Women Councilor candidates of the Local Government Elections are still invisible during the campaigns and male allies should support them, she added. Our women need to show more agency and courage to fight for their rights and space in political participation.
All the noted participants shared, that the women candidates shall contest the election for the sake of women and public welfare.
It is fact that currently there is a huge gender disparity in voters’ lists and there are an estimated 12.7 million fewer women voters as compared to men voters. The constitution of Pakistan put no restrictions or any hurdles on women’s political participation. the constitution provides equal space to women in every lawful profession under article 25.
At the end the Women performed a demonstration play and highlighted the problems and challenges that women candidates and voters may face during the upcoming election. They practiced about how they can check their registered vote and location by dialing 8300 from their mobile phones.
