ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs was informed on Tuesday that the gender gap was 12.37 million which was reduced to 10.7 million by 10 January, 2022 with the collaboration of NADRA. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Taj Haider.
The officials from Election Commission (ECP) briefed the Committee of the efforts being made to reduce gender gap in voter lists in the country. Campaigns were conducted in the constituencies with more than 10pc gender gap, officials informed.
There were 71 constituencies in KPK, 42 in Balochistan, 54 in Sindh and 114 in Punjab, they added. Officials apprised the Committee that before the start of Campaign, the gender gap was 12.37 Million which was reduced to 10.7 Million by 10 January 2022 with the collaboration of NADRA.
Senator Farooq Hamid Naek inquired whether the ECP officials had made any efforts regarding registration of Transgender voters. In reply to that, ECP officials remarked that efforts in this regard were also being made and a detailed report will be submitted to Committee in the next meeting.
ECP Officials also briefed that consultations with Women Parliamentarians of different provinces are also being made to reduce gender gap in the Country. Senator Farooq Hamid Naek suggested that there is need to change the mindset of male members of the society.
These are the male members who stop women from getting National Identification Certificate (NIC), he further stressed. Chairman Committee Senator Taj Haider recommended forming a women volunteer core group in remote areas to provide services to them at doorstep. These volunteer groups would be fruitful in enlarging the registration of female voters, he further underlined.
Chairman Committee Senator Taj Haider deferred the agendas regarding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and scrutiny on foreign funding to the next meeting because the Committee was of opinion that ECP has not yet finalized his reports regarding the afore mentioned agendas.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022