Women contenders of general seats in 2018 polls seek party support

KARACHI: Political parties complying to 5% mandatory allocation of tickets (general seats) to their women workers here on Friday were urged to actively and extensively campaign in support of these female candidates during the July 25 polls.

Stakeholders including women candidates from different national and regional political parties, activists and researchers participating in a "Dialogue on political participation of women and electoral Violence," organized by Sindh commission on the Status of Women with the support of UN Women also sought foolproof security for these women contenders engaged in their campaigns.

They further called upon Election Commission of Pakistan and their provincial counterparts to particularly facilitate women contesting on general seats as independent candidates.

Activists as well as researchers taking exception to the fact that political parties who have issued general seat tickets to women had adopted a partial approach and most of these tickets pertain to non winning seats or those with little chance of success for their respective candidates.

Emphasizing that governments need to financially support women in their political participation, the participants observed with concern that social, financial, cultural restraints are a chain on women from partaking in the political process.

Women's rights have been socially and financially wrested away from them and they are not only greatly sidelined in economics but also exposed to violence besides the phenomenon of character is assassination even if they are members of the National Assembly.

Chairperson, Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW), Nuzhat Shirin at the very onset of the day long program said the meeting has been designed to help the women candidates and also to create a network of political parties and civil society so that they can combine their resources and together work towards women's rights and issues.

"It is also our mandate to facilitate and monitor implementation of international instruments and obligations affecting women and girls," she said.

SCSW chairperson reiterated that political parties were being encouraged from the Commission's platform to fully support their female candidates.

"Our mandate includes to act for advocacy, lobbying, coalition building, networking and also to serve as a catalyst for promotion of cause of women to facilitate their participation in all spheres of life including legal, economic, social and political empowerment, she emphasized.

Nuzhat Shirin on the occasion also mentioned that SCSW was established as an autonomous body under the Sindh Provincial Commission on the Status of Women Act (2015), she assured that Commission would continue to highlight political participation rights' issues of women at all forums.

"At present our main focus is to increase women's political participation as voters and candidates in Sindh and to encourage them to make women's rights a priority issue," she said.

Anis Haroon the former chairperson of National Commission on the Status of Women in her elaborate presentation referred to Convention on Eradication of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) said Pakistan being its signatory must comply to one of its most important protocol is Article 7.

The convention was said to emphasize that state parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with menthe right to vote and be part of the political process of the country.

Regional director, Aurat Foundation, Sindh chapter, Mahnaz Rehman reiterated that it was high time that political parties must adopt women rights a priority issue in their mandates.

Mentioning that there exist all possibilities that women candidates be exposed to electoral violence with in the party and in the constituency and also faced difficulties in other related areas, she said a collective approach is urgently needed to be adopted at every level.

Saman Ahsan, UN Women representative said the body she is associated with is a branch of UN which works for gender equality.

Secretary of Sindh Women Development Department, Baqaullah Unar referred to series of initiatives taken in the province and regretted that province was painfully behind every set goal needed for the political participation of women.

Nighat Siddique Additional Director (Gender Affairs) from election commission of Pakistan discussed the sections of the elections Act 2017 ensuring that elections become more inclusive in Pakistan.

She also referred to several instances where ECP has taken swift action against people violating the code of conducts.

Shahid Fiaz, a senior researcher said there do exist several women friendly laws, however, as they are little implemented there fore women continue to face electoral violence at varied levels and under different pretext.

The very fact, he said is manifested through significant deficit of unregistered women voters in Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad.

The presentation were followed by panel discussions participated by Women candidates for 2018 polls who shared their concern with specific reference to security issues.

The candidates including Aasia Ishaaque, Dr Shahida Rehmani (PPP), Dr. Fauzia Hameed (PSP), Huma Bano, Sophia Shah, Almas Azam (PML-F), Niomi Bashir (Independent), Mangla Sharma (MQM) and Nusrat Wahid (PTI) also referred to class discrimination that is prevalent in society and also matters related to party discipline hindering their political freedom.

Independent candidates were registered to face more problems as they lacked financial backing, that is otherwise available to their counterparts belonging to political parties, to pay for electoral campaigns.

Justice (Retd.) Majida Rizvi in her concluding remarks suggested that ECP must give some financial leeway to independent candidates as they find it very difficult to pay for the nomination papers fee which has been increased from Rs.2000 to Rs.20,000.

Otherwise too, she said campaign expenses are difficult for candidates from middle class and lower middle class to bear.

"This should be facilitated by the state so that the process of democracy can move forward," reiterated the senior activist.