26 February 2004	Thursday	05 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 25: The one-day interactive media workshop, held here on Wednesday, observed that media, particularly electronic media, could play a pivotal role through its dramas in creating political awareness in women. It urged the media to highlight the importance of women's participation in election process.

The workshop was organized by the Election Commission of Pakistan under a UNDP project on the subject of Supporting Democratic Electoral Process in Pakistan aimed at creating an environment conducive to women's effective participation in politics.

Ms Tasneem Ahmar, Communication Consultant of the UNDP/SDEPP-NGO Component, Islamabad, highlighted the aims and objectives while Kunwar Mohammad Dilshad, Joint Secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan gave a brief history of the election process in the countryfrom 1951 to 2002.

Mr Dilshad also highlighted the Commission's role in facilitating electoral process. He pointed out that women's participation in the process had increased. Agreeing that media had bee playing a key role in this regard, he stressed on an even more effective and active role.

After the introductory remarks, the participants were divided into two working groups, one led by Prof Shahida Kazi and the other by Ms Bina Sarwar. The groups' recommendations were presented in the follow-up session.

The recommendations included an amendment to the relevant rules making it obligatory for a candidate to contest election from the constituency where he/she lived.

It was observed that many a candidates living in urban areas contested from rural areas. After getting elected, the legislator not only remains inaccessible to his voters, but also could not pay due attention to his constituency.

The groups recommended holding of workshops frequently, involving small groups of political activists, mediamen, polling agents, legislators and councillors in order to train them in rules of business. They stressed on a regular study of the performance of elected women representatives so that solution to the problems faced by them could be resolved.

The election commission should sponsor TV plays with themes based on women's active participation in election process, they suggested, and said that such plays be screened regularly throughout the year.

Similarly, they said, talk shows, debates and group discussions be included in TV programmes where elected women representatives could share their experiences relating to election and political process.

In view of low literacy rate among women, particularly in rural areas, the rules pertaining to minimum educational qualification for a women councillor/legislator be relaxed so that women aspirants having considerable awareness of women rights could come forward, the groups suggested, indicating that women from elite class with lesser awareness got themselves elected depriving the deserving ones of the right.

One of the recommendations stressed on transport facility for voters, especially for women voters, so that they could reach polling stations and booths, often far from their residences.