LAHORE: Civil society organisations across the country have voiced their deep concern over the marginalisation of women in the country’s political landscape.
In a press statement, these leaders of the organizations have demanded immediate measures to ensure that women are given fair representation in decision-making forums at all levels of governance. Arshad Mahmood Mirza of Baidarie Sialkot underscored the alarming absence of women in the federal cabinet. In Punjab, only three women, including the Chief Minister, are part of the 19-member provincial cabinet. Mirza pointed out that whenever local government institutions are formed in Punjab, women are either minimally represented or included as proxies for male counterparts.
“This state of affairs severely limits women’s opportunities to develop leadership skills and play a meaningful role in decision-making processes,” he said. “This situation also makes it unlikely for Punjab to meet the UN target of 30 percent women’s representation in governance.”
Irfan Mufti of South Asia Partnership-Pakistan said: “The primary barriers stem from entrenched social and cultural norms that perpetuate patriarchy and male dominance.”. “These systemic issues must be addressed to pave the way for a more inclusive political system that values and empowers women as equal partners in governance,” she said.
Hina Noureen Advocate, a member of the civil society network, emphasised the crucial role of local-level civil society organizations (CSOs) in accelerating women’s political empowerment. “They lack the capacity to establish collaborative networks or develop the strategies needed to integrate women into mainstream political, electoral, and governance processes. These gaps must be addressed if CSOs are to play an effective role in creating an enabling environment for women’s leadership.” Salman Abid from IDEA Pakistan stressed the urgent need for meticulously designed initiatives to counter the systemic exclusion of women in the country’s political sphere.
