Ratio of women workers' representation drops in LG system: report

LAHORE: The ratio of representation of women, peasants, and workers in Local Governments (LG) has decreased over the time, showed concern in a report issued by Women in Struggle for Empowerment (WISE) in the metropolitan city of Punjab province. According to report the Punjab Local Govt. Act 2019, the women representation ratio is now reduced from 33% in 2001 to less than 10% in the new LG system. For non-Muslims it is reduced to around 2-3 % from 5% in 2001.

This gradual decrease negates the government commitments under SDG# 5, national policies and action plans devised for the political empowerment of women. While refusing special representation for peasant/labor in the Neighbourhood Councils would lead to further marginalization of the vulnerable sections of society.

Bushra Khaliq, Executive Director WISE expressed that The Constitution ensures the political and electoral participation of marginalized groups in local governance and emphasizes for the guarantees to safeguard the interests of the vulnerable classes in the systems of local governance. But if we glance at the history of the local governance in Pakistan, not much genuine efforts were made for the preservation of political and electoral interests of the vulnerable to prevent their marginalization through reserve seats.

Salman Abid director IDEAS, recommended that the ratio of women representation must be ensured at least 33% on all LG tiers and she further added that at least 33% ratio of women representation in the cabinets be ensured. She demanded reserved seats for youth should be restored. According to her Appropriate quota for workers/peasants should be ensured in neighbourhood councils through reserve seats in purview of Article 32 of Constitution.

Mudassar Farooq Advocate LHC and expert on Local Government laws said , "Democracy is more likely to develop when all segments of a society are free to participate and influence political outcomes without suffering bias or reprisal. Participation of a diverse citizenry in public and private life is a fundamental aspect of a peaceful and just society. But in many countries, like Pakistan, large portions of the populations are excluded from politics based on their ethnicity, religion, gender, age and disability.

The empowerment of marginalized groups is the most recent approach in inclusive governance and participatory democracy. Bushra Khaliq highlighted, the major objective of the local government system is to empower people through greater participation and decentralization. It provides an opportunity to marginalize participation in elections in small constituencies by spending small amounts and by mobilizing their communities at grassroots level. The system also provides space to marginalized sections of society by reserving seats for minorities, women, labourers and peasants.

She said that after the 18th Constitutional amendment the subject of Local government was devolved to provinces under Article 140-A, which asks the provinces to establish a local government system based on the elected representatives. As a result, the provincial governments developed their respective LG laws in 2013 but kept hesitating (except Balochistan) to hold LG elections till 2015, when the Supreme court of Pakistan ordered them to fulfill their constitutional compliance and install local governance systems.

Executive Director of WISE Article 140/A binds all governments to devolve administrative, financial, and political powers from the federal to the provincial and from the provincial to the local governments, maintain the continuity of the elections and devolve powers to elected people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020