ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has pledged to eliminate the gender gap among voters by the next general elections.

In a message on the occasion of Working Women’s Day, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said the chasm between male and female voters was as high as 11.8 percentage points in 2018 elections, which has now dropped to 7.5 pps, which he said was a significant achievement in five years.

As many as 25.53m individuals have been added to the electoral rolls since September 2018, including 11.5m men and 14.08m women. That means 2.58m more women than men have been included in the voters’ list over the last five years.

In September 2018, the total number of registered voters was 106m, including 59.22m (55.89pc) males and 46.73m (44.11pc) females, meaning a gap of 11.78 pps.

According to the latest data, the total number of registered voters stands at 131.53m, including 70.72m (53.77pc) men and 60.81m (46.23pc) women, with the difference dropping to 7.54 pps.

Stressing that women’s participation in the electoral process was inevitable for peace, stability, and democracy in the country, the chief election commissioner urged women to actively take part in elections as voters and candidates and encouraged others.

He said the ECP has taken some key initiatives over the last few years to address the challenges women face as voters and candidates. He said the aim was to fully address gender disparity among voters by the next general elections.

Mr Raja said that under the legal reforms meant to increase women’s participation in the electoral process, the political parties were bound to award 5pc tickets to women candidates.

“The ECP, however, recognises the need to take more steps in this regard for effective implementation of the law and increasing the share of women in party tickets,” he said. He noted that steps should be taken for accountability of those who fail to meet the legal requirement.

Recognising the invaluable services for democracy rendered by women, he said the goal of durable peace and political stability essentially required for national progress could only be achieved if the women constituting more than 50pc of the total population become part of the electoral process on a par with men.

Mr Raja said the ECP was committed to enhancing the share of women in its workforce by providing an atmosphere free from discrimination and harassment.

He said the Election Commission was one of the important institutions in the Asia-Pacific region to have adopted gender mainstreaming and social inclusion framework. He said the framework provides a strategic vision to empower women, girls, minorities, transgenders and people with disability.

National Working Women’s Day

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his message on the occasion of National Working Women’s Day lauded the invaluable contributions of working women, acknowledging their essential role in building society and driving the nation’s economic progress, adds APP.

Highlighting the achievements of women in leadership roles across various fields, including education, healthcare, business, and public service, PM Shehbaz acknowledged their indispensable contributions not only in professional spheres but also in nurturing families and raising future generations.

While quoting the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, he said, “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.”

He reiterated his governments commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for women, enabling them to excel and contribute to national advancement. He said women constituted over half of the country’s population and were pivotal in shaping the country’s future. He also stressed the importance of creating women-friendly work environments that allow them to thrive.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by working women, the PM outlined several government initiatives aimed at supporting and empowering them including the provision of interest-free loans to encourage entrepreneurship among women, establishment of an endowment fund for women’s education and sports development, creation of daycare centres to help women balance job and family work and specialised training programmes to enhance their skills and leadership potential. “My government envisions a future where women in leadership are the norm, not the exception,” he stated.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2024