More than 200 women union councilors, who gathered here on Saturday, rejected the proposed amendment in the local government ordinance, which they said made local institutions captives by the feudal and tribal elite. The participants, who came from different parts of Punjab, said that the amendments were anti-people.
The convention "We reject cut in women seats in Local Councils" was organised by Pattan Development Organisation, Action Aid, and Women Councillors Network Punjab in collaboration with Sustainable Development Policy Institution (SDPI).
They said: "If the proposed amendment is allowed to be approved then it will compromise the objectives of decentralisation, to empower people at grass root level."
Instead of reduction in their representation at the union level, women councillors demanded that the government must reserve 50 percent representation at union councillors' level and 33 percent at the Nazim level.
They demanded that the next local bodies election must be held on non-party basis.
FACILITIES DEMANDED: They also demanded that the government must provide facilities to union councillors equivalent to the Grade-18 officers.
Dr Farzana Bari, director of Center of Excellence on Women Studies, Shafquat Taqqi, president of Women Councillors Network, Qasir Ismail, general secretary of Women Councillors Network, Punjab, Nasreen Azhar, representative of Action Aid, Pakistan, Sarwar Bari, National Coordinator of Pattan Development Organisation, addressed the convention where more than 200 union councillors from 18 districts were also present.
The women councillors raised slogan "Hand off women seats".
The participants demanded of President Pervez Musharraf to look into the matter and ensure that all such amendments in the "Local Bodies Ordinance", which are contradictory, should be withdrawn.
Addressing the convention, Dr Farzana Bari said the proposed amendments would strengthen the feudal and tribal elite.
Shafquat Taqqi, president of Women Councillors Network, said, "if this amendment is enforced on us then it will increase the powers of feudal lords which will further increase the sufferings of women, peasants and workers."