Govt urged to ensure maximum participation of women in polls
PESHAWAR: The women activists of a non-governmental organisation have demanded of the caretaker government to take further steps to ensure maximum participation of women voters in the upcoming general elections in the country.
They viewed that women could play their role in brining a positive change through the democratic process in the country by ensuring the use of their constitutional right to vote. Owing to ineffective steps, the women activists alleged that women participation in electoral process was remained scanty in the past.
They also demanded reserved seats for the tribal women in national and provincial assemblies to raise voice through elected representatives for the rights of tribal people. The women activists also urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to fully enforce their code of conduct relating to ensure maximum number of voters at polling stations. The election results should be declared null and void, if women voters’ turnout were not good at the polling stations, they demanded. They expressed these views at a “Women’s Manifesto 2013” launching ceremony organised Blue Veins, a non-governmental organization (NGO) here at press club on Wednesday.
The manifesto was covered more than 66 points aimed to put women issues in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata on the political agenda before general elections. The manifesto mostly emphasising the mainstream political parties to ensure equal rights to women, ending of gender disparity and effectively implementation of laws on women rights by incorporating in their political manifesto. Notable among the speakers included Qamar Naseem, Farida Iqbal, Khurshid Bano, Asma Riaz, and women rights activists from various organisation and members of civil society organisations.
Qamar Naseem, while speaking on the occasion, said that the women’s manifesto had compiled with consultation of women focus groups aimed to emphasis the political parties to ensure women rights through manifesto in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata.
He said the women were the potential voters, which need to provide equal opportunities to take part in the democratic process. Besides, Farida Iqbal said that women were not given due rights despite great contribution of economic development of the country. She called upon the political parties to incorporate in their manifesto to provide equal rights to women.
She urged the government to take steps to ensure maximum participation of women in the electoral process. She said the civil society should also play its role to highlight the significance of women vote in country politics and ensure their full participation in the elections, she maintained.
Source: The Nation
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