July 21, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 10,1423

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PESHAWAR, July 20: Highlighting impediments in the way of women’s participation in the political process, participants of a workshop stated here on Saturday that the media could play an effective role in bringing womenfolk to the mainstream politics.

They expressed concern over the negative portrayal of women in print and electronic media and urged that the media people be trained so that they could effectively highlight the women’s plight.

The speakers were unanimous in their observations that the media had not been playing its part in bringing females to the mainstream political process. They wanted the capacity of media persons and other stake-holders enhanced.

Nazim of Peshawar Town I, Haroon Bilour, NGO Award’s Maimoona Masood and Nighat Kamdar, Member, Advisory Board, Ministry of Population Welfare, Ms Riffat Akber Swathi, Additional Advocate General, Ms Mussarat Hillai, journalists Behroz Khan, Aimal Khattak and social activist Zahid Illahi spoke on the occasion.

Mr Bilour said that women had been participating in politics in a passive way. They must be encouraged to play a more active role.

He observed that if respect could be shown to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto and Begum Nasim Wali Khan, why it could not be shown to ordinary women councillors.

He regretted that even in certain pockets of Peshawar, women were not allowed to cast vote or contest elections. He added that under Article 25 of the Constitution all citizens were equal in the eyes of law, but women here were not treated on a par.

Ms Swathi said that women were forced to regard politics as the exclusive preserve of men. She added that lack of confidence, education and social customs held them back from taking part in the political process.

“We need to redefine democracy from the perspective of gender and see how to create an alternative governance culture in which women are given their due rights,” she added.