Women activists have called for acknowledging the value of women's participation in the Parliament and undertaking initiatives for strengthening their role. They were speaking at a roundtable conference on 'Evolution of the Role of Women Parliamentarians in Pakistan,' that was jointly organized by Center of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR) and an Islamabad based German think tank.
The discussion was participated by women politicians, activists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders, says a press release issued here on Thursday. The speakers noted that Pakistan had made great strides in terms of women representation in democratic institutions, but a lot more needed to be done to meet the international standards on women's political empowerment.
The conference in its various segments touched upon issues related to women's political participation including their numbers in various democratic institutions; bringing more rural women into the political process; and improving the quality of their contributions. Dr Farzana Bari, social activist and specialists in gender issues, recalled that women parliamentarians were actively participating in the legislative business and introduced unprecedented number of pro-women legislation.
She, however, regretted that there was disconnect between higher representation of women in the parliaments and status of women in the country. Pakistan, she pointed out, slid down on Global Gender GAP Index (GGGI) from 127th position in 2008 to 143rd in 2014. She believed that the dire situation was, because women despite performing well in the parliament weren't given decision-making positions. Only two women could make to the position of junior ministers in the government. Resultantly, they could not change development priorities in favour of women.
Senator Sitara Ayaz, who belongs to Awami National Party, observed that many women parliamentarians need a better understanding of their role. She suggested that political parties should set criteria for choosing women on merit to fill the reserved seats.-PR
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