The unfinished revolution | Political Economy

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Oman’s participation in forming political dialogue has been minimal. Globally, there is a growing focus on creating gender -balanced societies to solve women’s status issues. This trend is also clear in Pakistan. Although women had the highest representation in the national and provincial assemblies in the 2008 parliament, their participation in the formation of party political policies and agendas was permanently low. The promise of gender equality in politics is largely incomplete.

The contradiction between constitutional guarantees and ground facts in Pakistan has told a compelling story. According to recent census data, women comprises 48.51 % of Pakistan’s 241.49 million population. However, their political representation is limited. The Constitution of Pakistan announces gender equality under Article 25 and 34, yet women occupy only 53 seats in the National Assembly – 12 on general seats and 41 by secure quota. This means that in open competition, women achieved only 3.5 % of the general seats. The total representation of women in the 336 member of the National Assembly, including specific seats, is only 15.5 %. This sample repeats globally – from Bulgaria to Ireland, male legislators dominate more than 80 % of parliamentary seats in several democracies. In the European Union alone, 85 % of the mayors are men.

Legislative efforts have been important but insufficient to overcome this imbalance. The order of the political parties 2002 made an important attempt to increase the political participation of women in Pakistan. Under this order, political parties have been demanded to ensure women’s representation in their ranks, in which a major amendment to Article 8A in 2013 will order political parties to select at least five percent of women candidates for the general seat elections. Article 10 of another amendment in PPO 2002 proposes 33 % quota for women at the federal, provincial and local levels in all elected and non -elected party general councils and its affiliated committees. However, the bill was not approved.

The framework of legislation approved by Parliament has struggled to achieve its desired impact due to the limited influence of women parliamentarians, most of which have reached parliament on specific seats. Although the parties comply with the nominal numerical requirements, they often exclude the spirit of the law by excluding women from meaningful leadership positions. The Election Act 2017 tried to build the parties on these grounds by the need to allocate five percent of their tickets in the general election in the general election. The Act also introduces an important supply of any choice to be invalidated, where women’s turnout is less than 10 % of the total votes. Yet implementation faces significant challenges. Election officials often lack the resources to monitor women’s turnout, especially in remote areas. Cultural barriers in conservative areas lead to an unofficial agreement between political parties to prevent women from voting, preventing the will of the law.

When women receive meaningful representation in parliament, they permanently champion the reforms of legislative rights, labor laws and gender -based legislation, which shows solid benefits of comprehensive governance.

The reality of Pakistan’s major political parties reflects both development and permanent challenges. The PML -N has been prepared with its conservative roots, Maryam Nawaz has increased as the Chief Minister of Punjab. The Pakistan Peoples Party has maintained its support for its women from the beginning, which has born Pakistan’s first female Prime Minister and the first Foreign Minister. Pakistan, despite its modern view, is still struggling with gender representation, despite its modern point of view-in its 33-member basic committee, only one female member. Even traditionally conservative, Jamaat -e -Ulema (Fazl) has shown some evolution in his stance on women’s participation, though cultural concerns continue to affect their point of view.

Research has permanently shown that women’s members are more likely to prioritize health care, education and social welfare policies, which benefits the entire communities. When women receive meaningful representation in parliament, they permanently champion the reforms of legislative rights, labor laws and gender -based legislation, which shows solid benefits of comprehensive governance.

To move forward, our political system needs a comprehensive recovery. First, the current legislation should be reinforced, the order of the political parties and the Election Act 2017 was amended to order a meaningful increase in the representation of women in leadership positions. Second, political parties must establish strong guidance programs, regularly conduct a gender audit, and fully integrate women’s wings into the decision -making structure. Thirdly, cultural change should be promoted through comprehensive education and media campaigns, and challenging stereotypes about women’s leaders, enforcing lower -level programs to educate communities about women’s political rights.

The Sustainable Development Policy Institute shows how structural interference can create a meaningful change through its comprehensive move, and raise its voice among the political parties to enhance politics in Pakistan. While working at several levels, the SDPI is simultaneously engaged in reforming the internal structure with political parties, works to strengthen the implementation procedure with Pakistan’s Election Commission and enhance the effectiveness of legislation to cooperate with women’s parliamentarians. The SDPI is focused on removing the obstacles to women in politics through permanent, organized efforts.

At the current rate of progress, gender equality cannot be achieved at the national level unless a reform agenda is introduced in a timely manner. We cannot afford to remove half of our population and outlook in the era of complex global challenges, from climate change to economic inequality. The question is not whether women belong to politics, is it that our political system will eventually be ready to reflect the true diversity and ability of our societies?

Token measures are over. We need bold, systemic change that transforms our political institutions into a real platform for equal representation and shared power. Only then can we fulfill the promise that leaders like Fatima Jinnah and Benazir Bhutto represented not only for women, but we all like for democratic ideology.

The authors are affiliated with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute. The article does not necessarily represent the organization’s views