SWABI, March 5: Most of the 174 seats reserved for the women in 56 union councils of the district will continue to remain vacant in the upcoming local bodies by-elections.

During the last local bodies election, most women seats had remained vacant because no woman candidate applied for election following a decision by a local jirga to prohibit women from taking part in the elections.

The contesting candidates also upheld the jirga's verdict and not a single woman candidate filed her nomination in any of the 12 union councils - Asota, Naranji, Adina, Ismalia, Gar Munara, Zarobai, Kota, Bamkhel, Maini, Zaida, Ghabgani and Tordher.

From union councils of Dagahi, Shahmansoor, Junda, Pabini, Gaghani Chathra, Ghabgani, Gandaf, Swabi, Mareri Bala, Topi East and Yar Hussain West only one woman had returned unopposed on reserved seats while the remaining seats remained vacant.

Information collected from different union councils revealed that the jirga members were again active to disenfranchise women and dissuade them from filing nomination papers. However, women rights activists said they were making efforts to change the complexion of the practice this time and convince women to file nominations against their reserved seats.

On Wednesday only one woman, Shahid Begum from union council Chaknoda filed her nomination papers while about 15 others filed their nomination papers on Thursday.

CAMP: The Aurat Foundation Resource Centre and Citizen Action Committee has set up a camp to guide women candidates and help them file their nomination papers. They said that the foundation would also arrange workshops to educate women about the importance of vote and their participation in the elections.